Dietary Lead Increases Ethanol Consumption in the Rat

Rats fed either a diet containing 500 ppm (parts per million) Pb (as lead acetate) or an unadulterated control diet for 50 days were offered a 15% ethanol (ETOH) solution in a nonchoice (one-bottle) test situation. The results from this test indicated that Pb-diet animals consumed greater amounts of the ETOH solution than did controls. In a subsequent choice (three-bottle, two-fluid) test situation offering a nonpreferred ETOH solution or tap water as alternatives, Pb-diet animals once again ingested greater amounts of the ETOH solution. These findings are discussed in terms of possible Pb-induced increases in emotionality and the potential stress-reduction properties of ETOH.