Intoxicating effects of three aliphatic alcohols and barbital on two rat strains genetically selected for their ethanol intake.

Intoxicating effects of ethanol, isopropanol, tert. butanol and barbital were studied by comparing performances on the tilted plane of ethanol preferring AA (Alko, Alcohol) and ethanol avoiding ANA (Alko, Non-Alcohol) rat strains raised by genetic selection for their voluntary ethanol intake. The motor coordination of AA rats was found to be less affected than that of ANA rats by all three alcohols and barbital. The results indicate a marked genetic difference in neural tolerance to the alcohols and barbital, and suggest that neural tolerance to alcohols plays a role in determining the ethanol preference of AA rats and ethanol aversion of ANA rats.