Effects of nitrendipine, chlordiazepoxide, flumazenil and baclofen on the increased anxiety resulting from alcohol withdrawal

S E File, A Zharkovsky, P K Hitchcott

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

1. Male hooded Lister rats were fed a liquid diet containing 10% absolute ethanol for 4-5 weeks. Control rats received the liquid diet in amounts controlled to produce equal weight gain. 2. The rats were tested 7.5 h after withdrawal of ethanol and 30 min after i.p. injection with nitrendipine, chlordiazepoxide or baclofen or 20 min after i.p. injection with flumazenil. 3. Nitrendipine (25-100 mg/kg) was unable to reverse the anxiogenic responses detected on withdrawal from ethanol, but the highest dose did reduce withdrawal tremor. 4. Chlordiazepoxide (10 mg/kg), flumazenil (4 mg/kg) and baclofen (1.25 mg/kg) significantly reversed the anxiogenic response detected on withdrawal from ethanol. 5. These reversals of ethanol withdrawal responses are similar to the reversal of the increased anxiety detected on withdrawal from chronic treatment with benzodiazepines. 6. The mechanisms and clinical implications of these drug-induced reversals are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)87-93
Number of pages7
JournalProgress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
Volume16
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 1992

Keywords

  • Animals
  • Anxiety/drug therapy
  • Baclofen/therapeutic use
  • Chlordiazepoxide/therapeutic use
  • Diazepam/adverse effects
  • Ethanol/adverse effects
  • Flumazenil/therapeutic use
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Male
  • Nitrendipine/therapeutic use
  • Rats
  • Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/drug therapy
  • Tremor/chemically induced

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Effects of nitrendipine, chlordiazepoxide, flumazenil and baclofen on the increased anxiety resulting from alcohol withdrawal'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this