Blockade of the corticotropin releasing factor type 1 receptor attenuates elevated ethanol drinking associated with drinking in the dark procedures

Background: Drinking in the dark (DID) procedures have recently been developed to induce high levels of ethanol drinking in C57BL/6J mice, which result in blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) reaching levels that have measurable affects on physiology and/or behavior. The present experiments determined whether the increased ethanol drinking caused by DID procedures can be attenuated by pretreatment with CP‐154,526; a corticotropin releasing factor type‐1 (CRF₁) receptor antagonist. Methods: In Experiment 1, male C57BL/6J mice received ethanol (20% v/v) in place of water for 4 hours, beginning with 3 hours into the dark cycle. On the fourth day, mice were given an intraperitoneal injection of one of the 4 doses of CP‐154,526 (0, 1, 3, 10 mg/kg) 30 minutes before receiving their ethanol bottle. In Experiment 2, C57BL/6J mice had 2 hours of access to the 20% ethanol solution, beginning with 3 hours into the dark cycle on days 1 to 3, and 4 hours of access to the ethanol bottle on day 4 of DID procedures. Mice were given an intraperitoneal injection of one of the 4 doses of CP‐154,526 (0, 1, 3, 10 mg/kg) 30 minutes before receiving their ethanol bottle on day 4. Tail blood samples were collected immediately after the 4‐hour ethanol access period on the fourth day of each experiment. Additional control experiments assessed the effects of CP‐154,526 on 4‐hour consumption of a 10% (w/v) sucrose solution and open‐field locomotor activity. Results: In Experiment 1, the vehicle‐treated group consumed approximately 4.0 g/kg/4 h of ethanol and achieved BECs of approximately 30 mg%. Furthermore, pretreatment with the CRF₁ receptor antagonist did not alter ethanol consumption. On the other hand, procedures used in Experiment 2 resulted in vehicle‐treated mice consuming approximately 6.0 g/kg/4 h of ethanol with BECs of about 80 mg%. Additionally, the 10 mg/kg dose of CP‐154,526 significantly reduced ethanol consumption and BECs to approximately 3.0 g/kg/4 h and 27 mg%, respectively, relative to vehicle‐treated mice. Importantly, the 10 mg/kg dose of the CRF₁R antagonist did not significantly alter 4‐hour sucrose consumption or locomotor activity. Conclusions: These data indicate that CRF₁R signaling modulates high, but not moderate, levels of ethanol drinking associated with DID procedures.