FIGURE 1.

Total ethanol intake (g/kg/day) before and after an alcohol deprivation period of 3 weeks (A) and locomotor activity of the last abstinence day and the first post-abstinence days (B). Arrows indicate the administration of vehicle (n = 8) and 0.3 mg/kg of nalmefene (n = 8). A total of 5 injections were given (starting at 7 p.m. with 12 h intervals), the first injection was given 12 h before post-abstinence drinking begun. The average of the last 6 days measurements of ethanol intake is presented as the baseline drinking (BL). Locomotor activity is shown as 12-h post-injection intervals of the animals’ active phase. The percentage of each rat’s locomotor activity during and after treatment days was calculated with respect to basal activity prior to treatment (dashed line). Data are presented as means ± S.E.M. *indicates significant difference from the vehicle control group, p < 0.05.