Behavioral effects of ethanol inhalation in rats.

Behavioral effects of ethanol inhalation were studied on two fixed-ratio (FR) liquid-reinforced schedules and a continuous reinforcement (CRF) schedule intracranial self-stimulation (SS) in rats using the inhalational behavioral chamber designed in our laboratory. In the FR-24 schedule ethanol caused a decrease of reinforcement rate at 161 ppm and higher concentrations. In the FR-50 schedule decreases of the rate were observed at 102 ppm and 203 ppm. In the SS behavior ethanol produced a decrease in the rate of reinforcement at 603 ppm and higher concentrations. In rats of this schedule, blood ethanol concentrations were measured to be 393 micrograms/ml and 545 micrograms/ml after exposure to 600 ppm and 1200 ppm of ethanol respectively. Acute tolerance to ethanol was observed in these experiments, particularly in the FR-24 schedule. Thus ethanol inhalation could produce adequate blood concentrations so as to produce behavioral effects.