COMBINATION OF NALTREXONE AND FLUOXETINE ON RATS PROPENSITY TO TAKE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE

Naltrexone (NTX) and fluoxetine (FLU) are useful for treating alcoholi sm and depression, respectively. Furthermore, these afflictions co-var y. Given the possibility that people might be prescribed NTX and FLU c oncurrently, we assessed the effects of these two agents on rats' prop ensity to drink an alcoholic beverage. Rats were given 65 days of acce ss to a sweetened alcoholic beverage and water for 2 hr daily. At firs t, they took little ethanol, but after 20 days, they took on average 2 .0 to 2.5 g/kg of ethanol, dairy during the 2-hr session. They also to ok sufficient water to maintain their health. After 30 days, they were divided into four groups to receive, 30 min before the drinking sessi on, 1 of 4 different kinds of injections. For the next 20 days, one gr oup received placebo daily. Another group received 5 mg/kg of NTX dail y and another 5 mg/kg of FLU dairy. The fourth group received both 5 m g/kg of NTX and 5 mg/kg of FLU daily After 20 days, the doses of NTX a nd FLU were doubled across an additional 10 days. Both NTX and FLU red uced rats' intake of alcoholic beverage. The combinations of NTX and F LU, however, were no more effective in reducing rats' intake of alcoho lic beverage than either atone. Also, the small dose of NTX seemed to lose its effectiveness with repeated administrations. A second experim ent confirmed the conclusion that small doses of NTX rose their effect iveness in suppressing intake of alcoholic beverage across repeated ad ministrations. In summary, data provide no support for the idea that F LU and NTX would act synergistically to reduce propensity to take alco holic beverages.