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Abstract

The effect of ethanol and thermal stresses given simultaneously to male albino mice was studied using social behaviour as the modified assessment parameter in a standard opponent test. The mice were exposed in groups to 0, 10, 20, 30 and 402C for 24 h before subjecting them to behavioural test. The animals were injected with 99 ethyl alcohol at the doses of 1 and 3 g kg-1 body weight i.p., 24 h after thermal stress. The behavioural activities recorded at 202C were considered as the control activity at normal temperature. All animals were subjected to a modified standard opponent test and their social and non-social behaviour activities were observed and recorded in a thermostatically controlled chamber at all specified temperatures and ethanol exposures. Social activities included durations of threat, attack, fights, defense, naso-nasal and naso-genital contacts whereas the nonsocial behaviour included the durations of elements like wall rears, rears and displacement. These tests showed a significant decrease in all elements of behaviour at low temperatures whereas at high temperatures the effect appeared to be of biphasic nature with an increase followed by a decrease in activities as compared with the controls. Ethanol intoxication inflicted an inhibitory effect on all acts and postures in a dose-dependent manner at all thermal stress. These observations are discussed in the light of the thermal regulatory mechanism in the body and the possibility of studying these effects in perspective of the effects of thermal and alcohol stresses causing injuries in humans.