Citation

Hilakivi LA, Durcan MJ, Lister RG. Life Sci. 1989; 44(8): 543-553.

Affiliation

Laboratory of Clinical Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2927259

Abstract

The effects of caffeine and its interaction with ethanol were examined in a test of social behavior and a holeboard test of exploration and locomotion. Male mice were injected i.p. with 15, 30 or 60 mg/kg caffeine alone or in combination with 2 g/kg ethanol. The animals were then put in pairs into a familiar arena, or examined individually in the holeboard. Only the highest dose of caffeine (60 mg/kg) had a significant effect on the time spent in social interaction and motor activity in the social behavior test: both measures were reduced. The duration and frequency of avoidance-irritability behavior was dose-dependently increased by caffeine. In the holeboard, caffeine caused a dose-dependent increase in locomotor activity. 30 mg/kg caffeine reversed the ethanol-induced reduction of time spent in social interaction, and 60 mg/kg caffeine antagonized the ethanol-induced increase in locomotor activity in both the social behavior and holeboard tests. Caffeine's effects on ethanol-induced behavioral changes are compared with those of other drugs.

Language: en