Antagonism of tertiary butanol by ACTH4-10, naloxone and dexamethasone

Male C57 mice were pretreated with naloxone (4 mg/kg), ACTH4-10 (30 micrograms/kg), or saline 15 minutes prior to an injection of tertiary butanol (1.5 g/kg). Both naloxone and ACTH4-10 lengthened induction time (time to lose righting reflex) and shortened the duration of sleep time. Dexamethasone (.6 mg/kg) pretreatment of mice injected with ethanol (3.75 g/kg) or tertiary butanol (1.5 g/kg) lengthened induction time, but did not alter sleep time. The data do not support a primary role for acetaldehyde or TIQ involvement in the acute depressant effects of alcohol, but do suggest that some of the observed effects may in part be mediated through an endogenous opioid system.