Effects of ritanserin on ethanol withdrawal–induced anxiety in rats

This study investigated the ability of ritanserin, a 5-HT2 antagonist, to modify ethanol withdrawal (EW) symptoms in two animal models of anxiety: the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and the pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) discrimination assay. Long–Evans hooded rats were given a nutritionally balanced liquid diet containing 4.5% ethanol for 10 days. Twelve hours after removal of the ethanol diet, rats were tested in the EPM. A significant reduction in the open-arm activity and the number of total arm entries was observed, which is indicative of EW. Acute ritanserin (0.16–0.64 mg/kg, i.p., 60 min) had no effect on EW-induced anxiety-like behavior on the EPM. Ritanserin (0.08–0.64 mg/kg, i.p., b.i.d. 12 h) administered concurrently with the last 5 days of ethanol diet produced an increase in the time spent on the open arms of the EPM and reversed the EW-induced reduction in total arm entries. Rats trained to discriminate between saline and PTZ (an anxiogenic drug), selected the PTZ lever during EW. Chronic ritanserin (0.32 mg/kg, i.p., b.i.d.) did not block PTZ lever responding during EW. On the rotorod, ritanserin (0.32 mg/kg, i.p.) increased the motor incoordination induced by ethanol. In conclusion, coadministration of ritanserin with ethanol prevented the development of EW-induced anxiety as measured by the EPM, but not in the PTZ drug discrimination.