DAIDZIN AND DAIDZEIN SUPPRESS FREE-CHOICE ETHANOL INTAKE BY SYRIAN GOLDEN-HAMSTERS

Syrian Golden hamsters prefer and consume large and remarkably constan t amounts of ethanol in a simple two-bottle free-choice regimen. Ethan ol intake is significantly suppressed by zimelidine, bromocryptine, bu spirone, and lithium carbonate, pharmacological agents that have been shown to be beneficial in controlling ethanol intake in alcohol-depend ent humans. These results suggest that this ethanol-drinking animal mo del has high ''predictive validity'' and can be used effectively in th e search for and identification of new agents for the treatment of alc ohol abuse. The model has enabled us to confirm the putative antidipso tropic effect of Radix puerariae (RP), an herb long used in traditiona l Chinese medicine for the treatment of patients who abuse alcohol. A crude extract of RP at a dose of 1.5 g.kg-1.day-1 significantly suppre sses (>50%) the free-choice ethanol intake of Golden hamsters. Moreove r, two major constituents of RP, daidzein (4',7-dihydroxyisoflavone) a nd daidzin (the 7-glucoside of daidzein), were also shown to suppress free-choice ethanol intake. Daidzin and daidzein, at doses of 150 and 230 mg.kg-1.day-1, respectively, suppress ethanol intake by >50%. RP, daidzein, and daidzin treatment do not significantly affect the body w eight and water or food intake of the hamsters. These findings identif y a class of compounds that offer promise as safe and effective therap eutic agents for alcohol abuse.