Chronic treatment with ethanol produces supersensitivity to oxotremorine

1. The effect of chronic treatment with ethanol (14% v:v in drinking water) on the physiological endpoint core temperature which is partially regulated by a muscarinic mechanism was measured in adult male rats (n = 8). 2. One and two weeks of treatment were associated with enhancement of the hypothermic response to oxotremorine, 0.25 mg/kg ip (p = 0.0005 and p = 0.0001, respectively). 3. The sample remained supersensitive to this muscarinic agonist 48 and 96 hours after the discontinuation of treatment (p = 0.0014 and p = 0.013 respectively). 4. Repeated injections of oxotremorine, 0.25 mg/kg ip, every other day for 10 days did not produce carry-over effects in a control experiment. 5. The results suggest that ethanol renders muscarinic mechanisms supersensitive during chronic treatment and that supersensitivity remains up to 96 hours following withdrawal.