The increased ethanol preference in rats induced by choice, darkness, or drugs is reduced by ritanserin.
We tested the hypothesis that ritanserin, a serotonin S2 antagonist, reduces voluntary and induced forms of ethanol drinking. We gave 10 mg/kg ritanserin IP or SC to groups of rats given either a) a free choice between 3% ethanol and water, or b) kept in the dark for 5 weeks and given a choice between a range of ethanol concentrations (3-25%) and water, or c) implanted with osmotic pumps filled with tetrahydro-beta carboline and given a choice between a range of ethanol concentrations and water. In each case, ritanserin significantly reduced ethanol consumption and ethanol preference for 8-10 days after the last injection.
Lin
N
N
Department of Physiology, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Hubbard
J I
JI
D000818:Animals; D002243:Carbolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D003624:Darkness; D000431:Ethanol; D008297:Male; D017440:Photoperiod; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016713:Ritanserin / Q000494:pharmacology*
D002243:Carbolines; D016713:Ritanserin; D000431:Ethanol; C009804:tryptoline