Barbiturates and alcohol consumption

Studies on the effects of sodium phenobarbital on the ingestion of various sapid solutions in rats are reviewed and discussed. In the first three studies reported, the effects of phenobarbital on forced consumption of alcoholic and nonalcoholic solutions in water deprived rats were examined. The results of these studies indicated that phenobarbital can produce a taste aversion to ethanol solutions but not to nonalcoholic solutions in animals previously acclimated to these solutions. These data suggested a specific pharmacological interaction between this barbiturate and alcohol and a series of experiments on the effects of phenobarbital on voluntary alcohol consumption in rats was performed. The results of these studies indicate that chronic administration of certain doses of phenobarbital decreases preference for sweetened and nonsweetened 3% and 6% ethanol solutions but does not affect preference for non-alcoholic glucose and saccharin solutions. Similar administration of 30 mg/kg amobarbital, 80 mg/kg barbital, 2.5 mg/kg diazepam, 1.0 mg/kg methyprylon, and 10.0 mg/kg methaqualone did not alter intakes and preference for a 6% ethanol solution. The apparent specificity of phenobarbital in reducing ethanol consumption is discussed.