| First Author | Phillips TJ | Year | 1998 |
| Journal | Nat Neurosci | Volume | 1 |
| Issue | 7 | Pages | 610-5 |
| PubMed ID | 10196569 | Mgi Jnum | J:50787 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1309725 | Doi | 10.1038/2843 |
| Citation | Phillips TJ, et al. (1998) Alcohol preference and sensitivity are markedly reduced in mice lacking dopamine D2 receptors. Nat Neurosci 1(7):610-5 |
| abstractText | Although dopaminergic transmission has been strongly implicated in alcohol self-administration, the involvement of specific dopamine receptor subtypes has not been well established. We studied the ethanol preference and sensitivity of D2-receptor-deficient mice to directly evaluate whether dopamine D2 receptors contribute to alcohol (ethanol) consumption. We report a marked aversion to ethanol in these mice, relative to the high preference and consumption exhibited by wild-type littermates. Sensitivity to ethanol-induced locomotor impairment was also reduced in these mutant mice, although they showed a normal locomotor depressant response to the dopamine D1 antagonist SCH-23390. These data demonstrate that dopamine signaling via D2 receptors is an essential component of the molecular pathway determining ethanol self-administration and sensitivity. |
