Behavioral analysis of PTZ-kindled rats after acute and chronic ethanol treatments

The present study was designed to examine the response of PTZ-kindled and s aline-injected animals to both acute and chronic ethanol treatment. Acute i njection of ethanol (3.0 g/kg; IP) resulted in a rapid onset of loss of rig hting reflex (LORR) in both PTZ-kindled and saline-injected animals. Howeve r, the PTZ-kindled animals recovered from LORR significantly more quickly t han control animals. Using a tilt-plane test as a measure of motor incoordi nation, the PTZ-kindled animals had significantly less motor incoordination compared to controls. Blood alcohol levels (BAL) were not significantly di fferent between the groups. We also compared the degree of tolerance and de pendence in chronic ethanol-treated, PTZ-kindled, and control animals. PTZ- kindled, saline-injected and naive control animals were chronically treated with ethanol vapor. The PTZ-kindled group tolerated high vapor concentrati ons (in terms of food consumed/rat) and, at the end of the treatment, displ ayed intoxication characteristics different from those of the control group s despite having similar blood alcohol levels. The PTZ-kindled group also d isplayed withdrawal behavior that was similar to a group of ethanol-treated animals that had experienced a prior cycle of dependency and withdrawal. T hese data show many intriguing similarities between animals that are PTZ-ki ndied and chronically treated with ethanol and suggest the use of PTZ-kindl ed animals as a model for alcohol withdrawal kindling. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sc ience Inc.