Escalating caffeine dose-dependently increases alcohol consumption in adult male, but not female, C57BL/6J mice
Although previous research has illustrated the effects of the consumption of alcohol and caffeine individually, less research has focused on the popular combination of the two drugs. The increase in alcohol consumption when combined with caffeine has led to the idea that the stimulant effects of caf...
Saved in:
| Published in: | Pharmacology, biochemistry and behavior Vol. 241; p. 173806 |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
United States
Elsevier Inc
01-08-2024
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Although previous research has illustrated the effects of the consumption of alcohol and caffeine individually, less research has focused on the popular combination of the two drugs. The increase in alcohol consumption when combined with caffeine has led to the idea that the stimulant effects of caffeine may mask the depressant effects of alcohol, and this may contribute to increased binge drinking as the individual feels more awake and stimulated. Preclinical research has shown various effects of combined alcohol and caffeine where several studies show decreased alcohol consumption and others show increased alcohol consumption and even binge-like drinking. Results from a previous study in our lab indicate that intermittent access (IA) to steady levels of low (0.015 %) but not moderate (0.03 %) caffeine increased alcohol consumption in male C57BL/6J mice. The current studies further investigated the sex and dose differences in adult mice receiving varying concentrations of caffeine on combined alcohol intake. In Experiment 1, adult mice (n = 50, 25 males and 25 females) had IA to one of the following experimental bottles throughout the 4 week period: water, alcohol (10 % v/v), caffeine (0.015 % w/v), or 10 % alcohol +0.015 % caffeine. In Experiment 2, adult mice (n = 70, 35 males and 35 females) were given IA to one of the following experimental bottles: water, alcohol (10 % v/v; steady, maintained throughout the 4 weeks), caffeine (increasing 0.01 % to 0.015 % to 0.02 % to 0.03 % weekly), or 10 % alcohol+increasing caffeine (at the previously mentioned concentrations). When both caffeine and alcohol concentrations remained steady throughout the 4 weeks, there was no change in alcohol consumption. Chronic exposure to IA caffeine led to increased locomotor activity and decreased freezing episodes when tested in the open field test approximately 6 h after removal of the bottles. In Experiment 2, caffeine dose-dependently increased alcohol co-consumption in male mice whereas female mice consumed less alcohol when it was presented in conjunction with caffeine. The results in males are in line with clinical literature suggesting that the combination of alcohol and caffeine may lead to increased stimulation and alcohol drinking. Additionally, these studies provide evidence that the escalation of caffeine is crucial when investigating alcohol and caffeine co-consumption using the IA paradigm.
•The intermittent access paradigm may be useful in examining alcohol and caffeine co-consumption, preference, and withdrawal.•Caffeine dose-dependently increased alcohol co-consumption in adult male, but not female, mice.•Escalation of dose of caffeine was important as steady caffeine co-consumption did not alter alcohol intake. |
|---|---|
| Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
| ISSN: | 0091-3057 1873-5177 1873-5177 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173806 |