[Preventive effect of lithium chloride on the development in rats of a preference for ethanol].

It was revealed in experiments on rats treated with a 5% ethanol solution with equal quantities of LiCl (experiment) and NaCl (control) for seven weeks as the only source of liquid that with li+ concentration in the blood plasma of approximately 0.6 meq/1 LiCl prevented the development of alcohol dependence. On studying the neurosecretory hypothalamic nuclei, hypophysis and adrenal cortex of the same animals a certain correlation has been demonstrated between the morphofunctional condition of the mentioned formations, the degree of ethanol preference development and the character of LiCl influence on the process.