EFFECTS OF ETHANOL AND PENTOBARBITAL ON NALOXONE PRECIPITATED ESCAPE RESPONSE IN MORPHINE-DEPENDENT MICE

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 228  (1) , 58-67
Abstract
Morphine dependence in mice was produced in a 2 day test. The effects of ethanol, pyrazole, ethanol with pyrazole, and pentobarbital were recorded on the naloxone precipitated escape response. Ethanol suppressed the escape response in doses of 2.0 and 3.0 g/kg which produced mean blood ethanol concentrations of 1.88 and 3.28 mg/ml, respectively. When a pyrazole regimen was employed, ethanol reduced or abolished the naloxone precipitated escape response at doses of 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 mg/kg. Corresponding mean blood ethanol concentrations were 1.14, 2.82 and 3.74 mg/ml, respectively. When pentobarbital (20 and 30 mg/kg) was given to morphine dependent mice, jumping behavior was prevented following naloxone injection. Since narcotic antagonists such as naloxone may be employed in studying the phenomenon of physical dependence on ethanol based on the hypothesis of a relationship between endogenous opiates and ethanol dependence, it is essential to verify that blood ethanol concentrations are low enough so that ethanol will not interfere with the effects of naloxone in ethanol dependent animals.

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