Psychopharmacology

, Volume 68, Issue 1, pp 89–97 | Cite as

Effects of gamma-butyrolactone, amphetamine, and haloperidol in mice differing in sensitivity to alcohol

  • Bruce C. Dudek
  • Richard J. Fanelli
Original Investigations
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) induced longer loss of righting reflex in mice (LS-line) selectively bred for greater sensitivity to ethanol than in less sensitive SS-line mice. GBL also induced a three-fold greater increase of brain dopamine levels in LS than in SS mice. Among three inbred strains, GBL-induced loss of righting reflex was greater in BALB/c, and greater in DBA/2 than in C57BL/6 mice. A low dose of GBL produced biphasic effects on locomotor activity. Both an initial depressant action and a later increase in activity were greater in LS than in SS mice. These GBL effects on activity were modified in a genotypedependent fashion by amphetamine. Results of these experiments as well as greater catalepsy-inducing properties of haloperidol in SS mice suggest that genotypic influences on motor reactivity to ethanol may be modeled by GBL effects on brain dopamine systems.

Key words

Alcohol Pharmacogenetics Dopamine Gamma-butyrolactone d-Amphetamine Haloperidol 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1980

Authors and Affiliations

  • Bruce C. Dudek
    • 1
  • Richard J. Fanelli
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of PsychologyState University of New York at AlbanyAlbanyUSA
  2. 2.Department of PsychologyState University of New York at BinghamtonBinghamtonUSA

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