Peripheral Administration of Ethanol Results in a Correlated Increase in Dopamine and Serotonin Within the Posterior Ventral Tegmental Area

Two critical neurotransmitter systems regulating ethanol reward are serotonin and dopamine. The current experiment determined that intraperitoneal ethanol administration increased serotonin and dopamine levels within the pVTA (levels were significantly correlated). The current findings suggest the ability of EtOH to stimulate serotonin and dopamine activity within the mesolimbic system.