Discriminative stimulus properties of ethanol in the rat: effects of neurosteroids and picrotoxin.
Tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (5beta-THDOC; 1.3-12.0 mg/kg), a neurosteroid enhancing the GABA(A) receptor-associated chloride conductance, produced predominantly ethanol-appropriate responding (> 80%) in rats trained to discriminate 1.0 g/kg ethanol from saline. However, neither picrotoxin (0.25-1.5 mg/kg), nor dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (0.01-100.0 mg/kg), a neurosteroid acting as a GABA(A) receptor antagonist, attenuated the stimulus effects of ethanol. These results indicate that: (1) at least certain neurosteroids may produce subjective states similar to these induced by ethanol; (2) blockade of the GABA(A) receptor-associated channel does not eliminate the ethanol interoceptive cue in rats.
Bienkowski
P
P
Department of Pharmacology and Physiology of the Nervous System, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland.
Kostowski
W
W
D000818:Animals; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D000431:Ethanol; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D010852:Picrotoxin; D012965:Sodium Chloride