Physical dependence on ethanol during multiple intoxication and withdrawal episodes in the rat: evidence of a potentiation.

An animal model of repeated alcohol intoxication-withdrawal episodes consisting in a 2-day period of intoxication followed by 5 days abstinence in a 17 week period of study is presented. Gastric intubation was used. As a group the animals presented a statistically significant increase of convulsive withdrawal phenomena which during the 10th and 17th episode was comparable to the withdrawal reaction in abstinent 4-day alcohol-intoxicated animals. It is suggested that the present model may represent a paradigm for the study of effects of multiple ethanol withdrawal episodes.