Sodium pentobarbital-induced cross-tolerance to ethanol is learned in the rat.
Initially, rats were trained to walk on a treadmill to avoid footshock. Subsequently, rats given additional practice while pentobarbital-intoxicated became cross-tolerant to ethanol. However, rats given equivalent doses of pentobarbital after practice did not become cross-tolerant, nor did saline-vehicle controls. These results challenge the theories of cross-tolerance which are based exclusively upon cellular adaptations to pharmacological stimulation of drug-responsive neurons. That all of the cross-tolerance measured was attributable to the intoxicated practice suggests that this observed cross-tolerance was mediated by some form of learning.
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D004597:Electroshock; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats
D000431:Ethanol; D010424:Pentobarbital