Possible Interaction: Ethanol and Hexamethonium

“In a series of in vivo microdialysis experiments we investigated whether subchronic pre-treatment with … known to enhance ethanol consumption in the rat (nicotine or the peripheral nicotinic antagonist hexamethonium ) could modulate the alterations in extracellular … observed in response to administration of ethanol or the sedative …(A)-agonist diazepam.”

“The present results suggest that subchronic treatment with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist hexamethonium reduces a GABA(A)-R mediated counteraction of the nucleus accumbens dopamine response to ethanol.”

“Intracerebellar pretreatment with hexamethonium , a nicotinic receptor (nAChR) antagonist, significantly blocked nicotine-induced attenuation of ethanol ataxia suggesting participation of nAChRs.”

“The blood-brain-barrier-penetrating nicotine antagonist mecamylamine (2.0 … 4.0 mg/kg), but not the quaternary nicotine antagonist hexamethonium (4.0 and 8.0 mg/kg), partly counteracted the LMA stimulatory effect of ethanol (3.0 g/kg) in doses having no LMA reducing effects per se.”

“Further, ethanol (1 g/kg) failed to reverse the hypotensive effect of the ganglionic blocker hexamethonium.”

“5 ) The disappearance rate of ethanol in hypothermic dogs was decreased by hexamethonium or a small dose of epinephrine, but normalized by a pressor dose of epinephrine.”