Differential sensitivity to ethanol, pentobarbital, and barbital in spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats.

Ethanol, pentobarbital, and barbital sleep times and blood levels on awakening were determined in female spontaneously hypertensive (SH) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WK) rats. Ethanol-induced sleep times were significantly longer for SH than for WK and blood ethanol concentrations on awakening were significantly lower in SH than in WK rats. By contrast, pentobarbital and barbital sleep times for SH rats were significantly less than for WK rats and barbiturate blood levels at awakening were significantly higher in SH than in WK rats. No differences were observed between SH and WK rats with respect to the disappearance of ethanol, pentobarbital, and barbital from blood and in the apparent volume of distribution of these drugs. These observations suggest differential CNS sensitivity of the SH and WK rats to ethanol and barbiturates and provide additional support for the notion that there exist differences in the modes of acute action of these drugs.