Behavioral consequences of the hypotaurine-ethanol interaction

In order to evaluate the effect of hypotaurine on ethanol-induced locomotio n, different groups of mice received an injection of saline or 5.62, 8.45, 11.25, 16.87 or 33.75 mg/kg of hypotaurine 30 min prior to administering et hanol (2.4 g/kg). The duration of the effect of hypotaurine was explored by treating animals with ethanol 0, 30, 60 and 90 min after hypotaurine pretr eatment. The effect of hypotaurine on acute stimulating ethanol locomotion was evaluated by pretreating animals with saline or 11.25 mg/kg of hypotaur ine 30 or 60 min before ethanol (1.6, 2.4, 3.2 g/kg) or saline injections. Hypotaurine (11.25 mg/kg) required 30 min to boost, specifically ethanol-st imulated locomotion (2.4 g/kg). These results suggest a central locus for t ho interaction, firstly, because blood ethanol levels were not different be tween hypotaurine and saline pretreated mice, and, secondly, because a cotr eatment with beta -alanine (22 mg/kg), a beta -amino acid that counteracts the transfer of hypotaurine across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), prevented the enhancement in ethanol-induced locomotion produced by hypotaurine. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.