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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Horm Behav. 2009 Jul 15;57(1):12. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.07.002

TABLE 1.

Neurosteroid Manipulations Alter the Severity of Acute and Chronic Ethanol Withdrawal in C57BL/6 and DBA/2 Inbred Strains: Sex Differences

Strain Sex Change in Withdrawal (versus Control Group)
Systemic FINa
Chronic Withdrawal		 Systemic FINb
Acute Withdrawal		 ADX + GDXc
Acute Withdrawal
DBA/2J male Non-selective ↓ Significant ↓ Significant ↑
female Significant ↓ Significant ↑ Significant ↑
C57BL/6J male Non-selective ↓ Significant ↓ Significant ↑
female No change Significant ↑ No change

Data are summarized for the effects of experimental manipulations designed to deplete GABAergic neurosteroids (50 mg/kg dose of finasteride, FIN) or to deplete peripherally-derived steroids (adrenalectomy and gonadectomy, ADX + GDX) versus the respective control group (i.e., vehicle injection or SHAM surgery). Withdrawal was indexed by measuring handling-induced convulsions (HICs) and calculating the area under the withdrawal curve.

a

Mice were pretreated with FIN (4 daily injections) during the development of physical dependence. The non-selective decrease refers to a decrease in HICs in air- and ethanol-exposed mice. Adapted from Finn et al. (2004c).

b

Mice were pretreated with FIN (1 injection) prior to a single high dose of ethanol. Adapted from Gorin-Meyer et al. (2007).

c

Mice received a single high dose of ethanol at least 1 week following SHAM or ADX +GDX surgery. Adapted from Gililland and Finn (2007).