CITALOPRAM AS AN INHIBITOR OF VOLUNTARY ETHANOL INTAKE IN THE MALE-RAT

Psychological dependence was induced in rats by a 1-year intermittent exposure to intoxicating doses of ethanol, and recorded by the rat's a bility to later take the same dose of ethanol independent of the offer ed concentration. Citalopram (10 or 40 mg/kg/day) was given for 3 week s with ethanol available only the first and the last day; 10 mg/kg had no effect. On the first treatment day 40 mg/kg decreased ethanol inta ke. On the last treatment day 40 mg/kg had no effect. The following we ek the ethanol intake was higher than before the treatment in the 40 m g/kg group. During the four posttreatment weeks the ethanol intake of the 40 mg/kg group dropped significantly. Citalopram was retested 18 w eeks after the first treatment during 1 week, with continuous access t o ethanol; 10 mg/kg had no effect and 40 mg/kg decreased ethanol intak e at day 1, reaching a minimum in day 3. A tolerance to this effect wa s seen at the end of the week. Thus, in this model an acute dose of ci talopram can decrease ethanol intake, but tolerance to this effect dev elops when citalopram is given both with and without access to ethanol . (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.