Antidepressants attenuate both the enhanced ethanol intake and

IRENE D. MARTIJENA*, BUSTOS SILVIA G. , MARÝ´A E. BERTOTTO, VÝ´CTOR A. MOLINA

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2005 vol. 15 p. 119 - 119

font size="1" face="AdvTT2cba4af3.B"> Abstract We have recently shown that the abrupt discontinuation of chronic diazepam (DZM) administration facilitated ethanol consumption and enhanced the anxiolytic properties of ethanol. Tricyclic antidepressants such as desipramine and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine have been shown to reduce alcohol intake in rodent models of alcoholism and in alcoholics who are depressed. In the present study, we tested whether desipramine (1.25; 2.5 and 5 mg/kg, i.p.) and fluoxetine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) treatment affect both ethanol intake in a freechoice test and the anxiolytic effect induced by ethanol in DZM withdrawn rats. Adult male Wistar rats were submitted to a chronic DZM