Acute effects of taurine and a taurine antagonist on ethanol-induced central nervous system depression.

Sprague-Dawley rats received taurine intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) 30 min prior to ethanol (4 g/kg, i.p.). The duration of ethanol-induced sleep time was increased with taurine at doses of 7.5, 14.0 and 25.0 mumol/kg. In another experiment, TAG (a taurine antagonist, i.c.v.) was given 5 min prior to taurine (i.c.v.) and ethanol was administered 30 min later. TAG antagonized the effect of taurine to enhance ethanol-induced sleep time. These results suggest an interaction between taurine and the depressant effect of ethanol in the brain.