EFFECT OF TAURINE ON ETHANOL-INDUCED CHANGES IN OPEN-FIELD LOCOMOTOR-ACTIVITY

In the present investigation we questioned whether taurine antagonized the effects of ethanol on motor activity measured in the open field. Ten minutes following simultaneous administration (IP) of ethanol (1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 g/kg) or saline and taurine (30, 45 and 60 mg/kg) or saline, mice were placed in open field chambers and locomotor activity was measured during a 10 min testing period. A significant interaction was found between taurine and ethanol. Taurine-treated mice displayed lower motor excitation with the 1.0 g/kg dose of ethanol than the saline group treated with the same dose of ethanol. However at the 2.0 g/kg ethanol dose, taurine-treated mice demonstrated higher motor activity than the saline treated mice, once again, treated with the same dose of ethanol. No differences in blood ethanol levels were observed between the two groups. In a second study, taurine administration (30, 45 and 60 mg/kg) did not show any effect on d-amphetamine-induced enhancement of locomotor activity (1, 2, and 3 mg/kg). Data from this study demonstrated an interaction between taurine and ethanol in their effect on locomotor activity in the open field.