BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS IN RATS: NON‐UNIFORM YIELDS FROM INTRAPERITONEAL DOSES BASED ON BODY WEIGHT

Abstract

Sprague‐Dawley rats (n = 72) weighing from 125 to 450 g were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 16% (w/v) ethanol to provide 1, 2, or 3 g/kg doses. Resulting blood alcohol levels (BALs) demonstrated a general inadequacy of dose/body weight (g/kg) formulations of ethanol to provide uniform BALs in animals of different weights. BAL differences between heavier and lighter rats were not well accounted for by developmental changes in liver weight or alcohol dehydrogenase activity. From the data, a table was derived of more appropriate ethanol injection volumes to produce 0–300 mg% BALs (20 mg% increments) in rats from 100–500 g (10 g increments). 1982 British Pharmacological Society