Isradipine and naltrexone in combination with isradipine interact with a period of abstinence to reduce rats' intakes of an alcoholic beverage.
Individually housed rats were placed on a daily regimen of only 2 hr a day to drink both water and a sweetened alcoholic beverage. Initially, rats took little ethanol, but after 3 weeks, they took, on average, >2.0 g/kg daily. With achievement of stable intakes, the rats were deprived of opportunity to drink ethanol for 24 days and then the daily regimen was reinstated. With the reinstatement, various injections were given daily for 25 days or more: placebos, doses of isradipine (1.0 or 3.0 mg/kg), naltrexone (3.0 mg/kg), and a combination of isradipine (1.0 mg/kg) and naltrexone (3.0 mg/kg). The combination produced favorable effects with the fewest limiting side-effects. The period of abstinence decreased daily intakes of ethanol and interacted with the drugs to produce large, sustained decreases in intakes of ethanol.
Gardell
L R
LR
Laboratory for Psychopharmacology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180-3590, USA.
Reid
L D
LD
Boedeker
K L
KL
Liakos
T M
TM
Hubbell
C L
CL
D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017275:Isradipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012646:Self Administration
D000431:Ethanol; D009271:Naltrexone; D017275:Isradipine