Flumazenil but not nitrendipine reverses the increased anxiety during ethanol withdrawal in the rat.
After 7 day's gradual introduction of ethanol, rats were maintained for a further 4 weeks on a liquid diet containing 10% ethanol (mean daily dose 11.8 +/- 0.2 g/kg/day). Control-treated rats received liquid diet alone. Pairs of rats were tested in the social interaction test of anxiety 8 h after withdrawal. Withdrawal from ethanol significantly reduced the time spent in social interaction compared with controls, indicating an anxiogenic withdrawal response. Nitrendipine (50 mg/kg) had no effect on, whereas flumazenil (4 mg/kg) significantly reversed, this withdrawal response. This reversal appeared to be long-lasting as there was still no evidence of increased anxiety when rats were again withdrawn after 3 more days of ethanol diet.
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Division of Pharmacology, University of London, Guy's Hospital, UK.
Baldwin
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Hitchcott
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D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005442:Flumazenil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009568:Nitrendipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology
D000431:Ethanol; D005442:Flumazenil; D009568:Nitrendipine