The beta adrenergic agonist isoproterenol suppresses voluntary alcohol intake in rats

The effects of isoproterenol on alcohol consumption were examined to investigate whether beta adrenergic stimulation can reduce voluntary alcohol intake. Two and one-half, 5 and 10 μg/kg isoproterenol administered subcutaneously(SC) just prior to alcohol availability produced a dose-dependent reduction in alcohol intake and elevation in water intake. Blood alcohol levels measured subsequent to a SC injection of 5 μg/kg isoproterenol or vehicle followed by an intraperitoneal injection of 2.5 g/kg alcohol showed that the adrenergic agonist did not alter the distribution or metabolism of alcohol. Since beta adrenergic agonists such as isoproterenol are potent releasers of renin, these findings support previous work showing that different kinds of interventions which share the common property of elevating activity in the renin-angiotensin system (beta adrenergic stimulation in the present case) consistently result in the reduction of voluntary alcohol intake.