Salvia miltiorrhiza extract inhibits alcohol absorption, preference, and discrimination in sP rats

Experiment 1 of the present study investigated the ability of a standardize d extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza in reducing voluntary ethanol intake in et hanol-preferring rats of the sP line. Ethanol intake occurred under the two -bottle free-choice regimen between 10% (v/v) ethanol and water in daily 4- h scheduled access periods; water was present 24 h/day. Intragastric admini stration of 200 mg/kg Salvia miltiorrhiza extract resulted in approximately 40% reduction in ethanol intake and preference throughout the 4-day treatm ent. This effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza extract was likely due to its abili ty of altering ethanol absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Indeed, Experiments 2 and 3 of this study demonstrated that 200 mg/kg Salvia miltio rrhiza extract reduced blood ethanol levels (BELs) up to 60% in comparison to control rats, when ethanol was given IG, whereas it failed to modify BEL s when ethanol was injected IP. The reducing effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza extract on ethanol absorption may have therefore resulted in an attenuated perception of the psychoactive effects of ethanol sought by ethanol-drinkin g rats. Consistently, the results of Experiment 4 of the present study demo nstrated that a combination of 200 mg/kg Salvia miltiorrhiza extract IG and 1 or 2 g/kg ethanol IG resulted in a partial blockade of the discriminativ e stimulus effects of ethanol in sP rats trained to discriminate these dose s of ethanol from water in a drug discrimination procedure. Collectively, t he results are discussed as being suggestive that drugs curbing ethanol abs orption from the gastrointestinal tract may constitute a novel strategy for controlling excessive alcohol consumption in human alcoholics. (C) 1999 El sevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.