Investigations of central interaction of ethanol and clonidine

The combined effect of ethanol and clonidine on rabbit EEG, and the effect of clonidine on ethanol sleep in mice, as well as on acute ethanol toxicity were investigated. Moreover, the effect of clonidine on ethanol level in rabbit blood and in mouse brain and the combined effect of ethanol and clonidine on rabbit arterial blood pressure were evaluated. It has been found that clonidine intensifies the effect of ethanol in EEG and prolongs ethanol sleep. Clonidine does not change acute ethanol toxicity and does not affect ethanol level in blood and the brain. Ethanol prevents the decrease of arterial blood pressure after an intravenous or intracerebroventricular administration of clonidine.