title: Prazosin Prevents Increased Anxiety Behavior That Occurs in Response to Stress During Alcohol Deprivations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Stress-induced anxiety is a risk factor for relapse to alcohol drinking. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the central nervous system (CNS)-active α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist, prazosin, would block the stress-induced increase in anxiety that occurs during alcohol deprivations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Selectively bred male alcohol-preferring (P) rats were given three cycles of 5 days of ad libitum voluntary alcohol drinking interrupted by 2 days of alcohol deprivation, with or without 1 h of restraint stress 4 h after the start of each of the first two alcohol deprivation cycles. Prazosin (1.0 or 1.5 mg/kg, IP) or vehicle was administered before each restraint stress. Anxiety-like behavior during alcohol deprivation following the third 5-day cycle of alcohol drinking (7 days after the most recent restraint stress ± prazosin treatment) was measured by performance in an elevated plus-maze and in social approach/avoidance testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rats that received constant alcohol access, or alcohol access and deprivations without stress or prazosin treatments in the first two alcohol deprivations did not exhibit augmented anxiety-like behavior during the third deprivation. In contrast, rats that had been stressed during the first two alcohol deprivations exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior (compared with control rats) in both anxiety tests during the third deprivation. Prazosin given before stresses in the first two cycles of alcohol withdrawal prevented increased anxiety-like behavior during the third alcohol deprivation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prazosin treatment before stresses experienced during alcohol deprivations may prevent the increased anxiety during subsequent deprivation/abstinence that is a risk factor for relapse to alcohol drinking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Administration of prazosin before stresses during repetitive alcohol deprivations in male alcohol-preferring (P) rats prevents increased anxiety during a subsequent deprivation without further prazosin treatment. Prazosin treatment during repeated alcohol deprivations may prevent the increased anxiety that is a risk factor for relapse to alcohol drinking.
authors: VISN 20 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Mental Health Service, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA drasmuss@u.washington.edu.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98108, USA.
authors: Dennis D
authors: DD
authors: Rasmussen
authors: VISN 20 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Mental Health Service, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors: Carrie L
authors: CL
authors: Kincaid
authors: Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indinapolis, IN 46202, USA.
authors: Janice C
authors: JC
authors: Froehlich
mesh_terms: D058668:Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011224:Prazosin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D058668:Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists; D000431:Ethanol; D011224:Prazosin