Effect of anisomycin on the development of rapid tolerance to ethanol-induced motor impairment.

Male Wistar rats given a single moderate dose (1.7 g/kg, IP) of ethanol (EtOH), followed by six trials on the moving belt apparatus during the next hour, showed functional tolerance to the motor-impairing effects of a second dose given 24 h later if the first EtOH was preceded and followed by an injection of saline. The same EtOH dose and intoxicated practice did not produce tolerance if the saline injections were replaced by two doses of anisomycin (60 mg/kg each, SC) 15 min before and 105 min after the first dose of EtOH. This finding suggests that rapid tolerance, like chronic tolerance, requires de novo synthesis of protein during a short period immediately related to the test experience.