Administration of a GABA antagonist selectively attenuates an ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion.
Pretreatment with the GABA antagonist picrotoxin attenuated the development of an ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion (CTA), while no effect of this compound was observed on the development of an amphetamine-induced CTA. These findings suggested some specificity of the effects of picrotoxin to the psychopharmacological properties of ethanol related to CTA. On the other hand, the benzodiazepine inverse agonist, Ro15-4513, purported to a specific ethanol antagonist, was shown to attenuate both an ethanol- and amphetamine-induced CTA. The results support the notion that ethanol intoxication may be mediated in part by GABAergic mechanisms. These GABA-mediated properties of ethanol may in fact underlie the development of an ethanol-induced CTA.
Smith
B R
BR
Department of Psychology Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Segal
R B
RB
Amit
Z
Z
D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001386:Azides / Q000494:pharmacology; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D012439:Saccharin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects
D000661:Amphetamine; D001386:Azides; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000431:Ethanol; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D010852:Picrotoxin; D012439:Saccharin; C042957:Ro 15-4513