Increased sensitivity to chronic ethanol in isolated mice.

Isolated C57BL/10 mice fed liquid diet as their only nutritional supply consumed 44% more diet than did grouped-housed mice. A similar increase due to isolation of 36% for C57BL/10 mice and 89% for DBA/1 mice was demonstrated when the sucrose in the liquid diet was replaced by an equicaloric (6% v/v) amount of ethanol. The ethanol-drinking isolated mice suffered a higher mortality rate than the grouped mice. When isolated mice were given a restricted amount of ethanol diet to match the consumption of the grouped mice, their death rate still remained higher. It was concluded that isolation increased the sensitivity to ethanol effects. The observed changes in the sensitivity to ethanol effects may have been mediated by the known isolation-induced changes in the levels of brain amines and corticosterone. Generally, DBA/1 mice were more susceptible to chronic ethanol than C57BL/10, and the young more susceptible than the adults.