Lack of ifenprodil anxiolytic activity after its multiple treatment in chronically ethanol-treated rats.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the anxiolytic activity of ifenprodil in Warsaw high-preferring (WHP) and low-preferring (WLP) rats after chronic ethanol treatment.


METHODS
WHP and WLP animals, their paired-ethanol-naive groups and control Wistar rats were treated with ifenprodil (1.0 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) for 21 consecutive days. Anxiolytic activity was evaluated by using the two-compartment exploratory test. In addition, the locomotor activity paradigm was also assessed.


RESULTS
Ifenprodil did not affect this paradigm in all investigated groups. The ethanol treatment led to lowering of anxiolytic scores in WHP rats. Multiple ifenprodil administration showed an anxiogenic-like activity in both WHP- and WLP-ethanol-treated groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that, under some conditions, the role of ifenprodil in the treatment of alcoholism may be insufficient to support its use.
Mikolajczak
P
P
Department of Pharmacology, K. Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 5a, 60-806 Poznan, Poland.
Okulicz-Kozaryn
I
I
Kaminska
E
E
Szulc
M
M
Dyr
W
W
Kostowski
W
W
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D010880:Piperidines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D010880:Piperidines; D000431:Ethanol; C010739:ifenprodil