Rationale

The immediate social context significantly influences alcohol consumption in humans. Recent studies have revealed that peer presence could modulate drugs use in rats. The most efficient condition to reduce cocaine intake is the presence of a stranger peer, naive to drugs. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the Subthalamic Nucleus (STN), which was shown to have beneficial effects on addiction to cocaine or alcohol, also modulates the protective influence of peer’s presence on cocaine use.

Objectives

This study aimed to: 1) explore how the presence of an alcohol-naive stranger peer affects recreational and escalated alcohol intake, and 2) assess the involvement of STN on alcohol use and in the modulation induced by the presence of an alcohol-naïve stranger peer.

Methods

Rats with STN DBS and control animals self-administered 10% (v/v) ethanol in presence, or absence, of an alcohol-naive stranger peer, before and after escalation of ethanol intake (observed after intermittent alcohol (20% (v/v) ethanol) access).

Results

Neither STN DBS nor the presence of an alcohol-naive stranger peer modulated significantly recreational alcohol intake. After the escalation procedure, STN DBS reduced ethanol consumption. The presence of an alcohol-naive stranger peer increased consumption only in low drinkers, which effect was suppressed by STN DBS.

Conclusions

These results highlight the influence of a peer’s presence on escalated alcohol intake, and confirm the role of STN in addiction-like alcohol intake and in the social influence on drug consumption.

中文翻译：

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丘脑底高频深部脑刺激可减少成瘾性饮酒以及同伴存在可能产生的负面影响

基本原理

直接的社会背景显着影响人类的饮酒量。最近的研究表明，同伴的存在可以调节大鼠的药物使用。减少可卡因摄入量的最有效条件是有一个对毒品不了解的陌生人同伴在场。丘脑底核 (STN) 的深部脑刺激 (DBS) 已被证明对可卡因或酒精成瘾具有有益作用，也可调节同伴存在对可卡因使用的保护性影响。

目标

本研究旨在：1) 探索未曾饮酒的陌生人同伴的存在如何影响娱乐性和酒精摄入量的增加，以及 2) 评估 STN 对饮酒的参与以及未曾饮酒的陌生人的存在所引起的调节同行。

方法

患有 STN DBS 的大鼠和对照动物在乙醇摄入量逐步增加之前和之后，在乙醇摄入量增加之前和之后（在间歇性饮酒（20%（v/ v) 乙醇) 获取)。

结果

STN DBS 和未曾饮酒的陌生人同伴的存在都不会显着调节娱乐性酒精摄入量。升级程序后，STN DBS 减少了乙醇消耗。一个不喝酒的陌生人同伴的存在只会增加低度饮酒者的饮酒量，而 STN DBS 抑制了这种效应。

结论

这些结果强调了同龄人的存在对酒精摄入量增加的影响，并证实了 STN 在成瘾性酒精摄入和药物消费的社会影响中的作用。