Low doses of morphine reduce voluntary alcohol consumption in rhesus monkeys

Experimental opioid modulation has been found to influence the consumption of alcohol in animals. Whereas it has generally been agreed upon that opiate antagonists reduce alcohol consumption, the results with opiate agonists are less consistent. The present study reports on the effect of low doses of morphine in 8 adult male rhesus monkeys that had a free choice in drinking water, a 16% and a 32% ethanol/water solution, (a) during continuous ad libitum access (Experiment I), and (b) after 2 days of alcohol abstinence (Experiment II). In both experiments each monkey received a single morphine injection (i.m.) in 5 different doses (0.03, 0.06, 0.17, 0.50, 1.50 mg.kg-1); each morphine injection (i.m.) was placebo-controlled in a cross-over design. Consumption was measured from 16.00 h in the afternoon (30 min after injection) to 08.30 h the next morning. In Experiment I after 0.50 and 1.50 mg.kg-1 of morphine ethanol intake and water consumption were both reduced during the first hours after injection; only ethanol intake remained reduced during the subsequent night. Effects lasted not longer than 24 h. In Experiment II, morphine administered 30 min before reintroduction of ethanol solutions reduced ethanol intake at doses of 0.17, 0.50 and 1.50 mg.kg-1; water consumption was unaffected. The reduction lasted for the subsequent night after the 2 highest doses. Records obtained of various spontaneous behavioural activities made it unlikely that the used dose range had induced some aspecific sedation; monkeys remained alert and active. The results are contradictory with studies in which low doses of morphine stimulated alcohol drinking in rats. The present results seem to support the hypothesis that at least in monkeys morphine can compensate for some effects of alcohol.