Abstract
To determine the effect of housing conditions on morphine self-administration, rats isolated in standard laboratory cages and rats living socially in a large open box (8.8 m2) were given morphine in solution (0.5 mg/ml) as their only source of fluid for 57 days. They were then exposed to a series of 3-day cycles previously shown by Nichols et al. (1956) to increase self-administration of morphine in caged rats. On morphine/water choice days late in the period of forced consumption, between the Nichols cycles, and during a subsequent period of abstinence, the isolated rats drank significantly more morphine solution than the social rats, and the females drank significantly more morphine solution than the males. During the four choice days in the Nichols Cycle Period the isolated rats increased their consumption, but the socially housed animals decreased theirs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Defeudis, F. V., Defeudis, P. A., Samoza, E.: Altered analgesic responses to morphine in differentially housed mice. Psychopharmacology 49, 117–118 (1976)
Dole, V. P.: Narcotic addiction, physical dependence and relapse. N. Engl. J. Med. 18, 988–992 (1972)
Goldstein, A.: Heroin addiction and the role of methadone in its treatment. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 26, 291–297 (1972)
Hill, S. Y., Powell, B. J.: Acquired preference for morphine but not d-amphetamine as a function of saccharine administration. Psychopharmacology 50, 309–312 (1976a)
Hill, S. Y., Powell, B. J.: Cocaine and morphine self-administration: effects of differential rearing. Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 5, 701–704 (1976b)
Katz, D. M., Steinberg, H.: Long-term isolation in rats reduces morphine response. Nature (Lond.) 228, 469–471 (1970)
Khantzian, E. J.: Opiate addiction: a critique of theory and some implications for treatment. Am. J. Psychother 28, 59–70 (1974)
Khavari, K. A., Risner, M. E.: Opiate dependence produced by ad libitum drinking of morphine in water, saline, and sucrose vehicles. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 30, 291–302 (1973)
Lore, R., Flannelly, K.: Rat societies. Sci. Am. 236,106–116 (1977)
Nichols, J. R.: How opiates change behavior. Sci. Am. 212, 80–88 (1965)
Nichols, J. R., Headlee, C. P., Coppock, H. W.: Drug addiction. I. Addiction by escape training. J. Am. Pharm. Assoc. 45, 788–791 (1956)
Nichols, J. R., Hsiao, S.: Addiction liability for albino rats: breeding for quantitative differences in morphine drinking. Science 157, 561–563 (1967)
Overall, J. E., Spiegel, D. K.: Concerning least squares analysis of experimental data. Psychol. Bull. 72, 311–322 (1969)
Sklar, L. S., Amit, Z.: Effect of aggregation on morphine lethality in rats. J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 29, 119 (1977)
Stolerman, I. P., Kumar, R.: Preferences for morphine in rats: validation of an experimental model of dependence. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 17, 137–150 (1970)
Stolerman, I. P., Kumar, R., Steinberg, H.: Development of morphine dependence in rats: lack of effect of previous ingestion of other drugs. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 20, 321–336 (1971)
Ternes, J. W.: Induced preference for morphine in rats. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 5, 315–316 (1975)
Whitney, G., Horowitz, G. P., Collins, R. L.: Relationship between morphine self-administration and the effect of morphine across strains of mice. Behaviour Genetics Association Program and Abstracts, 6th annual meeting, Boulder, Colorado 1976
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alexander, B.K., Coambs, R.B. & Hadaway, P.F. The effect of housing and gender on morphine self-administration in rats. Psychopharmacology 58, 175–179 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00426903
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00426903