Chlordiazepoxide's interaction with ethanol intake in the rat: relation to ethanol exposure paradigms

Chlordiazepoxide's interaction with ethanol (5% v/v) intake was assessed in rats on a feeding regimen producing high daily quantities of ethanol intake (schedule-induction procedure with intermittent feeding), more moderate amounts of ethanol intake (a single daily feeding), and small amounts of ethanol intake (free feeding). Six days of twice daily sham injections (IP) were followed by 12 days of 0 (vehicle), 5, 10, or 15 mg/kg (twice daily) chlordiazepoxide, and finally six days of the saline (vehicle) injections. Rats in the intermittent feeding daily consumed 9.9-12.3 g/kg (80-95 ml) of ethanol on baseline which was reduced 15 to 33% by the drug. In the single feed condition most rats were drinking 70 to 85 ml (8.8-10.3 g/kg) of ethanol and this was reduced 15-40% by the drug. During the six days after drug, intake in both of these feeding regimens returned to the baseline level. Ethanol intake of rats under the free feeding condition (48 ml, 3.5 g/kg on average) was not affected by the drug, nor was water intake under any of the three feeding regimens.