title: Protective effect of quercetin on alcohol abstinence-induced anxiety and convulsions.
abstract: Chronic administration of ethanol (2 g/kg, p.o.) on days 1-6 and its withdrawal produced an anxiogenic reaction in mice as assessed in the mirrored-chamber test. Daily administration of quercetin (25 or 50 mg/kg, p.o.) prior to ethanol for 6 days prevented withdrawal-induced anxiety in mice. However, acute administration of a single dose of quercetin (50 mg/kg) to animals withdrawn from ethanol, i.e., on day 7, did not prevent withdrawal-induced anxiety. Ethanol withdrawal also induced a significant increase in the locomotor activity of mice indicating an anxiogenic response. Daily administration of quercetin (25 or 50 mg/kg, p.o.) prior to ethanol for 6 days prevented withdrawal-induced increased locomotor activity. Ethanol withdrawal also sensitized the convulsogenic reaction to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). A non-convulsive dose (40-60 mg/kg) of PTZ produced full-blown convulsions and increased mortality in ethanol-withdrawn mice. Both acute and chronic administration of quercetin (25 or 50 mg/kg, p.o.) produced a significant protection against ethanol withdrawal-induced reduction in PTZ threshold in mice. The result suggests the protective effect of this safe drug, quercetin, in the management of ethanol withdrawal reactions.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology Division, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Naidu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
mesh_terms: D020270:Alcohol Withdrawal Seizures / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000431:Ethanol; D005260:Female; D006948:Hyperkinesis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011794:Quercetin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D011794:Quercetin; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole