Abstract
The lateralized effects of ethanol (ETOH) upon behavior and monoamine biochemistry in the lizard, Anolis carolinensis, were examined. Eight adult male anoles consumed solutions of 19% ethanol (ETOH) twice daily over the course of 18 days, while controls consumed water. ETOH decreased the use of the left eye/right hemisphere, but not the right eye/left hemisphere, during territorial aggression (p < 0.05). During crossover (i.e., ETOH to water and vice versa) this effect was reversible and replicable. Biochemically, an asymmetry was observed in 5-HT levels in the raphe both in ETOH and controls. ETOH increased levels of serotonin (5-HT; p < 0.05), and 5-HIAA/5-HT ratios (p < 0.05) in the raphe; serotonin levels in several brain regions correlated with aggressive responses. These results suggest that ETOH boosts 5-HT levels in animals subchronically exposed to ETOH. They further suggest that asymmetry in endogenous 5-HT systems may account for the asymmetrical regulation of aggression generally, and may explain the behavioral effects of ETOH upon lateralized aggression.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 38-46 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Brain Research |
| Volume | 807 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 5 1998 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Aggression
- Alcohol
- Lateralization
- Serotonin
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Clinical Neurology
- Developmental Biology