Role of serotonin in tolerance to ethanol and barbiturates: evidence for a specific vs. non-specific concept of tolerance.

The results of our recent investigations have suggested that tolerance and cross-tolerance development to motor-impairing and hypothermic effects of ethanol was slowed when brain serotonin (5-HT) was extensively depleted by treatment with p-chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA). These findings have been extended by the observation that p-PCA also slowed the development of tolerance to motor-impairing effects of barbital whether tolerance was tested repeatedly in the same animal or in separate subgroups being tested only once. Additional support was provided by the demonstration that intracerebral injection of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (-DHT), which is known to deplete 5-HT markedly, also slowed the development of tolerance to motor-impairing and hypothermic effects of ethanol. In addition, when brain 5-HT level was elevated by administration of L-tryptophan, the rate of tolerance development to ethanol, as measured by motor impairment and hypothermia, was accelerated. In contrast to 5,7-DHT, intracerebral injection of 5,6-DHT was surprisingly found to accelerate the development of tolerance to ethanol. Upon further investigation, however, it was determined that the 5,6-DHT treatment depleted brain 5-HT levels by only 20% and, in addition, resulted in the development of supersensitivity. These results further confirm and extend the generality of our observations that 5-HT may be involved in the development of tolerance and cross-tolerance to sedatives. The possibility of a non-specific vs. specific effect of the serotoninergic system (as well as other aminergic systems) in tolerance and neuroplasticity deserves further investigation. The possible significance of these findings and the role of 5-HT (and noradrenaline) in the mechanism of tolerance are discussed in terms of analogy to enzyme or receptor mechanism.