Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Journal of Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Pharmacology
. 1968 Oct;34(2):370–376. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1968.tb07058.x

The effect of antidepressants and “tranquillizers” on the response of mice to ethanol

G Milner
PMCID: PMC1703338  PMID: 5749344

Abstract

1. The techniques and apparatus used for investigation of the interaction of various psychotropic drugs with ethanol in mice are described. The parameters measured were (a) length of loss of righting reflexes; (b) continuous coma; (c) subjects remaining in coma 12 hr after dosing; (d) changes in toxicity.

2. The following drugs were tested: amitriptyline, trimipramine, imipramine, nortriptyline, desipramine, thioridazine, phenelzine, methylphenidate, chlorpromazine, trifluoperazine, phenobarbitone, and diazepam. The total number of mice used was 3,140.

3. Imipramine caused no significant changes in the effects of ethanol. Methylphenidate and desipramine protected the mice against ethanol induced coma. All other drugs induced statistically significant potentiation of the depressant and toxic effects of ethanol in mice.

4. Late (delayed) deaths after a tricyclic antidepressant have been noted in animals and man.

5. It is suggested that the potentiation of alcohol by some psychotropic drugs may add to the hazards of drug overdosage and contribute to traffic accidents. Hence it is necessary to test all psychotropic drugs for interaction with alcohol.

Full text

PDF
370

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BRODIE B. B., SHORE P. A., SILVER S. L. Potentiating action of chlorpromazine and reserpine. Nature. 1955 Jun 25;175(4469):1133–1134. doi: 10.1038/1751133a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Enticknap J. B. Driving and social drinking. Br Med J. 1967 Apr 1;2(5543):49–49. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5543.49-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. HALLIWELL G., QUINTON R. M., WILLIAMS F. E. A COMPARISON OF IMIPRAMINE, CHLORPROMAZINE AND RELATED DRUGS IN VARIOUS TESTS INVOLVING AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS AND ANTAGONISM OF RESERPINE. Br J Pharmacol Chemother. 1964 Oct;23:330–350. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1964.tb01590.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. KERLEY T. L., CARTER B. L., BRISCOE J. R. INDIVIDUAL RODENT OBSERVATION CAGES FOR PHARMACODYNAMIC STUDIES. J Pharm Sci. 1964 Feb;53:222–223. doi: 10.1002/jps.2600530226. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Masters A. B. Delayed death in imipramine poisoning. Br Med J. 1967 Sep 30;3(5569):866–867. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5569.866-b. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. SULSER F., WATTS J., BRODIE B. B. On the mechanism of antidepressant action of imipraminelike drugs. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1962 Jan 13;96:279–288. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1962.tb50122.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Steel C. M., O'Duffy J., Brown S. S. Clinical effects and treatment of imipramine and amitriptyline poisoning in children. Br Med J. 1967 Sep 9;3(5566):663–667. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5566.663. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. THEOBALD W., BUECH O., KUNZ H. A., MORPURGO C., STENGER E. G., WILHELMI G. VERGLEICHENDE PHARMAKOLOGISCHE UNTERSUCHUNGEN MIT TOFRANIL PERTOFRAN UND INSIDON. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther. 1964 Apr 1;148:560–596. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. THEOBALD W., STENGER E. G. [On thereciprocal potentiation of the effect of alcohol and psychopharmacological agents]. Arzneimittelforschung. 1962 May;12:531–533. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Pharmacology are provided here courtesy of The British Pharmacological Society

RESOURCES