INVESTIGADORES
MARTIJENA Irene Delia
artículos
Título:
Antidepressants attenuate both the enhanced ethanol intake and ethanol-induced anxiolytic effects in diazepam withdrawn rats
Autor/es:
MARTIJENA I.D, BUSTOS S.G, BERTOTTO M.E. AND MOLINA V.A
Revista:
European Neuropsychopharmacology
Editorial:
ELSEVIER
Referencias:
Año: 2005 vol. 15 p. 119 - 130
ISSN:
0924-977X
Resumen:
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 free-choice test and the anxiolytic effect induced by ethanol in DZM
withdrawn rats. Adult male Wistar rats were submitted to a chronic DZM treatment
(2 mg/kg per day) or vehicle (VEH) for 21 days. Twenty-four hours after the last
DZM injection, rats were subjected to a free-choice paradigm between water and
increasing ethanol concentrations with or without concurrent desipramine or
fluoxetine administration (ethanol concentration (v/v) was increased every 4
days as follows: 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10% for the final 8 days). Chronic treatment
with desipramine (24 days, twice a day, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg, i.p.) and fluoxetine
(24 days, once a day; 5 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced the amount of ethanol
intake in DZM withdrawn rats. Furthermore, subchronic treatments with
desipramine (4 days, twice a day, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg) and fluoxetine (4 days, once
a day, 5 mg/kg, i.p.) blocked the anxiolytic-like behavior in the elevated plus
maze induced by ethanol (1 g/kg; i.p.) in DZM withdrawn rats at day 5 of
withdrawal. The present findings suggest that desipramine and fluoxetine could
be effective pharmacological tools to prevent the subsequent development of
ethanol dependence in rats previously exposed to DZM withdrawal.