A Study of Hereditary Differences in Rat Preference for Alcohol.

为了研究老鼠的遗传背景是否会影响对酒精的偏好，研究人员使用了一种允许老鼠自愿选择酒精的装置。采用斯金纳箱对大鼠的酒精偏好进行了评价，并将其改进为单杆双液输送系统。也就是说，当老鼠按下斯金纳箱墙壁表面的杠杆时，墙壁中央的喷嘴会喷出一种变化的水或10%的酒精溶液。该装置连接了一台NEC（9800UM）的个人计算机，便于操作和控制，数据由集成软件处理。选择Wister菌株、Long-Evans菌株、Lewis菌株和Fischer菌株对酒精偏好的差异进行研究。研究了大鼠品系对酒精的偏好，并获得了对酒精表现出高度偏好的大鼠的频率。然后按菌株分类。结果:1。Lewis和Wister品系大鼠出现酒精偏好的频率高于其他品系。长埃文斯菌株对酒精的偏好频率最低。2. 选择同一品系中酒精偏好最高的雄性和雌性大鼠。这些老鼠被用来近亲繁殖，结果发现，它们的后代比它们的父母对酒精的偏好更高。3. 研究还发现，当老鼠长期喂食酒精饮食（含酒精的液体饲料）时，它们对酒精的偏好会上升。

A basic experiment to investigate whether a rat's hereditary background affects preference for alcohol was preformed using an apparatus allowing rats to select alcohol voluntarily.An apparatus was employed to evaluate rat's preference for alcohol using a Skinner box that was improved to a one-lever, two-liquid delevery system. That is, it was so designed that when a rat pushes down on the lever in the surface of a wall in the Skinner's box, an alterating water or 10% alcohol solution will come out of the nozzle located in the center of the wall.A personal computer manufactured by NEC(9800UM) was connected to this apparatus allowing easy operation and control to be performed, and the data was processed by intergrated software.The Wister strain, Long-Evans strain, Lewis strain, and the Fischer strain of rats were selected to investigate for differences in alcohol preference. This preference for alcohol by strain of rat was investigated and frequencies obtained of rats apperaing to show a high preference for alcohol. These were then classified by strain. Results: 1. The frequency of appearance of preference for alcohol was higher in Lewis and Wister strain rats than the other strains. The long-evans strain showed the lowest frequency of alcohol preference. 2. Male and female rats with the highest preference for alcohol in the same strain were selected. These were made to inbreed and the resultant young were found to have higher rates of preference for alcohol than their parents. 3. It was also found that a rat's preference for alcohol will rise when they are chronically fed an alcohol diet(a diet consisting of liquid feed containing alcohol).