[Effectiveness of lithium nicotinate in the treatment of experimental alcoholism]

The data on the efficacy of lithium nicotinate in therapy of experimental alcoholism are provided. The drug is capable of retarding the formation of alcoholic motivation. During treatment of psychic or physical alcoholic dependence, an antidepressant effect of the drug could be also seen. Under experimental acute alcoholic poisoning the drug attenuates the symptoms of intoxication. Antialcoholic effect of lithium nicotinate correlates with the normalization of the background EEG readings, activity of alcohol dehydrogenase, catalase, with the elevated content of the oxidized forms of NAD, NADP and the decreased level of malonic dialdehyde. The possibility of using lithium nicotinate as an antialcoholic drug is discussed.