HETEROGENEITY OF TOLERANCE DEVELOPED TO EFFECTS OF ETHANOL ON ROTARODAND ACCELEROD PERFORMANCES IN RATS

The ethanol-induced impairment of rotarod and accelerod performances h as been investigated in rats. Ethanol (7.2%, v/v) was given orally ad lib to rats in a modified liquid diet for 15 days. Rotarod and acceler od performances were recorded before and at the 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 15t h days of ethanol intake. The daily ethanol consumption of the rats ra nged from 12.03 to 16.4 g/kg. Mean blood ethanol level was estimated a s 282.3 and 242.5 mg/dl on the 7th and 15th days of ethanol consumptio n, respectively. Ethanol significantly decreased (p < 0.01) rotarod pe rformance on the 2nd and 4th days. But tolerance developed to the etha nol-induced impairment of rotarod performance from the 7th day. It als o significantly decreased (p < 0.01) accelerod performance of the rats throughout the 15 days. So no tolerance was seen to this action of et hanol. Our results suggest that rotarod and accelerod performance test s seem to have differential characteristics in the context of toleranc e development to ethanol in rats.