[Toxicological characteristics of an experimental model of alcoholism in rats].

The morphological appearance and morphometric indicators (the content of RNA, protein, glycogen and fat) of the internal organs of random-bred male rats were studied 10 days, 6 and 12 months after voluntary consumption of 15% ethanol. Alcohol consumption for 12 months provoked marked pathological alterations of the animals' internal organs, similar to organ pathology in alcoholic patients. The time course of these changes was marked by stages which correlated with the stages of experimental alcoholism formation, classified according to the behavioral criteria. The conclusion is made about adequacy of the model in question for screening and study of the pharmacological agents fit for the treatment of alcoholism.