Receptor stereospecificity in opiate-ethanol interaction using the preexposure-conditioned taste aversion (CTA) paradigm.

In the first experiment, rats were conditioned with different doses of levorphanol or dextrorphan to a novel tasting saccharin solution. In the second experiment, rats were either preexposed to levorphanol or dextrorphan and conditioned with either morphine or ethanol to the saccharin solution. The results showed that levorphanol, but not dextrorphan, at 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg doses effectively induced a CTA. Preexposure to the 5 mg/kg dose of levorphanol blocked both morphine- and ethanol-induced CTAs. Dextrorphan at the same dose did not affect the CTAs. These findings are discussed in terms of the involvement of the opiate receptors in opiate-ethanol interaction.