Zahoor Ahmad Rather, Mukta N Chowta, Ganaraja Bolumbu, Sheetal Ullal and Ashok Shenoy
Objective: This study is planned to examine the possible beneficial effect of chronic administration of melatonin on ethanol drinking in rat models chronic voluntary ethanol consumption.
Methods: Intermittent access 10% ethanol two-bottle-choice drinking paradigm was employed in 4 groups of rats where the rats had access to ethanol on alternate days in a week and a free access to water on all day. The ethanol and water intake was recorded on each ethanol day. All rats received drug treatment (Distilled water, naltrexone, melatonin 50 mg/kg and melatonin 100 mg/kg) for 6 days continuously once they attain stable ethanol drinking pattern. The ethanol consumption on the last drinking session before the drug administration was noted as pretreatment baseline ethanol drinking value. The ethanol consumption on the first drinking session after the last dose of drug administration was noted as the post treatment value.
Results: There was no change in the amount of ethanol consumption by rats in groups receiving distilled water and melatonin 50 mg/kg body weight. There was significant reduction in the ethanol consumption in rats receiving melatonin 100 mg/kg body weight and naltrexone. Comparison among different groups showed statistically significant difference between melatonin 100 mg/kg and distilled water as well as between naltrexone and distilled water.
