Zimeldine: a review of its effects on ethanol consumption

This review evaluates the literature and describes an extensive series of experiments which examined the effects of zimeldine , its metabolite norzimeldine and other serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors on voluntary ethanol consumption in rats. The results of these experiments indicate that drugs which specifically inhibit serotonin reuptake are capable of decreasing voluntary ethanol consumption. The behavioral mechanism through which these drugs exert their effects seems to be extinction of the primary reinforcing properties of alcohol. These effects seem to be partially attenuated both by drugs which modulate the norepinephrine system as well as by the serotonin postsynaptic receptor blocker methergoline. The data presented in this review are discussed in terms of the involvement of the serotonin and norepinephrine systems in the mechanism of action of these drugs. In addition, several alternative hypotheses concerning the nature of the phenomenon are offered. Finally, the implications of these data for the possible development of a treatment procedure for problem drinkers is discussed.