| Abstract: | When naive rats of our colony were individually housed for 1 month with free access to laboratory chow and water as drinking fluid, 6% exhibited muricidal behavior. When naive rats of the same colony were similarly housed but received ethanol 20% in water as the sole source of drinking fluid (ll.5 g ethanol/kg/day), the percentage of killer rats was the same. However, when the rats were housed in similar conditions and submitted to a 1-day ethanol withdrawal, the percentage of muricidal rats increased to 25%. Ethanol intake in the same conditions as described above did not change muricidal behavior of spontaneous killers and did not induce killing behavior in nonkiller animals. GABA-mimetic agents administered IP blocked ethanol withdrawal-induced killing behavior as well as spontaneous muricidal activity. |
