Lithium has lately been used in controlling manic excitement, various other psychotic excitements, and recurrence of both manic and depressive symptoms. Haloperidol, synthesized by Janssen, has been introduced for the treatment of psychoses since 1958. It has been verified that haloperidol is a potent, long acting, relatively non-soporific, antianxiety and antipsychotic agent and that is relatively non-toxic, and non-addictive.
It has been reported that chlorpromazine, lithium and several other psychotropic drugs elevated the blood alcohol level in rabbits. In view of these findings, the author conducted an animal experiment to investigate the effect of haloperidol alone or in combination with lithium, on blood alcohol level in rabbits.
Materials and Method
1. The experimental work was done on mature rabbits of both sexes, weighing between 2.0 and 3.0 kg.
2. The experiment was done in 2 groups:control and experimental group.
3. Control group was given-alcohol alone, and experimental group was further devided into three groups: alcohol haloperidol group, alcohol+lithium group, end alcohol+haloperidol+ lithium group.
4. Haloperidol was given orally. Alcohol+haloperidol group,- and alcohol+haloperidol+lithium group were devided into four subgroups. In the first subgroup, haloperidol was given 2mg/kg of body weiht daily, for 5 days; in the second subgroup, 4 mg/kg of body weight daily for 5 days; in the fourth subgroup, 4mg/kg of body weight daily for 10 days. The last dose of haloperidol was given 90 minutes before alcohol administration.
5. Lithium cloride soluton, 6.36%, was given in a dose of 3.OmEq/ g of body weight daily for 4 days by intravenous route. The last dose was given 60 minutes before alchol administration.
6. In all groups, 20 vol. % ethanol solution wasgiven in a dose of 5.0 ml/kg of body weight, at a constant rate for 5 minutes, by intraveonus route.
7. All of the blood specimens were obtained by cardiac puncture at 15 and 45 minutes respectively after alcohol administration.
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