Rasmussen, Dennis D.Kincaid, Carrie L.Froehlich, Janice C.2018-05-312018-05-312017-01Rasmussen, D. D., Kincaid, C. L., & Froehlich, J. C. (2017). Prazosin Prevents Increased Anxiety Behavior That Occurs in Response to Stress During Alcohol Deprivations. Alcohol and Alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire), 52(1), 5–11. http://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agw082https://hdl.handle.net/1805/16326AIMS: Stress-induced anxiety is a risk factor for relapse to alcohol drinking. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the central nervous system (CNS)-active α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist, prazosin, would block the stress-induced increase in anxiety that occurs during alcohol deprivations. METHODS: Selectively bred male alcohol-preferring (P) rats were given three cycles of 5 days of ad libitum voluntary alcohol drinking interrupted by 2 days of alcohol deprivation, with or without 1 h of restraint stress 4 h after the start of each of the first two alcohol deprivation cycles. Prazosin (1.0 or 1.5 mg/kg, IP) or vehicle was administered before each restraint stress. Anxiety-like behavior during alcohol deprivation following the third 5-day cycle of alcohol drinking (7 days after the most recent restraint stress ± prazosin treatment) was measured by performance in an elevated plus-maze and in social approach/avoidance testing. RESULTS: Rats that received constant alcohol access, or alcohol access and deprivations without stress or prazosin treatments in the first two alcohol deprivations did not exhibit augmented anxiety-like behavior during the third deprivation. In contrast, rats that had been stressed during the first two alcohol deprivations exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior (compared with control rats) in both anxiety tests during the third deprivation. Prazosin given before stresses in the first two cycles of alcohol withdrawal prevented increased anxiety-like behavior during the third alcohol deprivation. CONCLUSION: Prazosin treatment before stresses experienced during alcohol deprivations may prevent the increased anxiety during subsequent deprivation/abstinence that is a risk factor for relapse to alcohol drinking. SHORT SUMMARY: Administration of prazosin before stresses during repetitive alcohol deprivations in male alcohol-preferring (P) rats prevents increased anxiety during a subsequent deprivation without further prazosin treatment. Prazosin treatment during repeated alcohol deprivations may prevent the increased anxiety that is a risk factor for relapse to alcohol drinkingen-USPublisher PolicyStress-induced anxietyAlcohol drinkingPrazosinAdrenergic alpha-1 receptor antagonistsDose-response relationship, DrugMaze learningSubstance withdrawal syndromeArticle