The effect of chronic antidepressant treatment on alcohol intake in rats

An abnormality in serotonergic function is thought to be involved in the aetiology of alcoholism. Both human and experimental studies support the view that manipulations leading to increased central serotonergic function decrease ethanol intake. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of chronic administration of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) fluvoxamine (10 mg kg^-1, p.o) and paroxetin (5 mg kg^-1, p.o) and the tricyclic antidepressant desipramine (7.5 mg kg^-1, p.o) on ethanol intake in Sprague Dawley rats. Rats in which alcohol intake was in excess of 2.0 g kg^-1 day ^-1 were selected for the experiment. Fluvoxamine treatment significantly reduced ethanol consumption on days 11 and 13 of drug treatment (p < 0.05), whereas paroxetine administration significantly reduced ethanol consumption on days 7, 11 and 13 of treatment (p < 0.01). Desipramine treatment had no significant effect on ethanol intake. None of the drug treatments affected water consumption. Drug treatment had no significant effects on bodyweight or food consumption. It is proposed that paroxetine (and to a lesser extent fluvoxamine) has a specific action on alcohol intake, probably related to its effects on central serotonergic function.