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D1 dopamine receptor regulates alcohol‐motivated behaviors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in alcohol‐preferring (P) rats

Recent studies have implicated the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) as a potential brain substrate for mediating drug‐related behaviors. Neuroanatomical studies have demonstrated that reciprocal projections exist from the BST to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a dopamine reward substrate proposed to play a role in alcohol abuse. In the present study, we evaluated the role of the D1 and D2 dopamine receptors of the BST in regulating alcohol and sucrose‐motivated behaviors. Alcohol‐preferring (P) rats were trained under an FR4 operant schedule to self‐administer either EtOH (10% v/v) or sucrose (2% w/v). Following training, we evaluated the capacity of a competitive D1 (SCH 23390; 0.5–20.0 μg) and a D2 (eticlopride; 0.5–20.0 μg) dopamine antagonist to selectively reduce EtOH‐maintained responding. Naltrexone, (5–30.0 μg), the nonselective opioid antagonist, was used as a reference agent. The results showed that SCH 23390 dose‐dependently reduced alcohol‐motivated responding. Responding was reduced with the 20.0 μg dose to about 97% of control levels. SCH 23390 also reduced sucrose responding; however, the magnitude of effects was substantially lower with the highest doses (2.5, 20.0 μg) (68–79% of control levels). In contrast, eticlopride failed to significantly alter alcohol responding and reduced sucrose responding only with the 10.0 μg dose. Unlike the dopamine antagonists, all naltrexone doses failed to alter EtOH or sucrose‐maintained responding. The results suggest a salient role for the D1, but not the D2 and opioid receptors in selectively modulating EtOH‐motivated behaviors in the BST. Synapse 48:45–56, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.