LACK OF IFENPRODIL ANXIOLYTIC ACTIVITY AFTER ITS MULTIPLE TREATMENT IN CHRONICALLY ETHANOL-TREATED RATS

Abstract

Aims: The purpose of this study was to assess the anxiolytic activity of ifenprodil in Warsaw high-preferring (WHP) and low-preferring (WLP) rats after chronic ethanol treatment. Methods: WHP and WLP animals, their paired-ethanol-naive groups and control Wistar rats were treated with ifenprodil (1.0 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) for 21 consecutive days. Anxiolytic activity was evaluated by using the two-compartment exploratory test. In addition, the locomotor activity paradigm was also assessed. Results: Ifenprodil did not affect this paradigm in all investigated groups. The ethanol treatment led to lowering of anxiolytic scores in WHP rats. Multiple ifenprodil administration showed an anxiogenic-like activity in both WHP- and WLP-ethanol-treated groups. Conclusions: Our results suggest that, under some conditions, the role of ifenprodil in the treatment of alcoholism may be insufficient to support its use.