Ability of Partial Inverse Agonist, Iomazenil, to Block Ethanol Effects in Humans

VA Office of Research and Development33 enrolled

Overview

Alcohol is abused commonly, but there is no remedy for alcohol intoxication. This project is looking at the substance iomazenil and its effect on alcohol intoxication and alcohol's effects on driving using a driving simulator.

Alcohol is abused commonly, but there is no antidote for alcohol intoxication the way naltrexone or naloxone is an antidote for opioids. A medication that has the potential to block alcohol actions in the Central Nervous System could act as a unique medication in the treatment of alcohol intoxication and alcoholism. This project is evaluating the benzodiazepine partial inverse agonist, iomazenil, as an agent that could reverse alcohol's effects on subjective intoxication, alcohol's effects on driving using a driving simulator and on measures of electrophysiology in the laboratory in healthy subjects.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Active Ethanol and Active Iomazenil Active Ethanol and Placebo Iomazenil Placebo Ethanol and Active Iomazenil

Interventions

Active EthanolDRUG

Target BrAC of 0.1% reached over 30 minutes and then clamped to maintain this dose for an additional 60 minutes. This dose is equivalent to consuming approximately 5 drinks. Administered over a total of 90 minutes.

Active IomazenilDRUG

Active iomazenil, administered intravenously at a dose of 3.7 ug/kg. Administered over 10 minutes, beginning 10 minutes after the start of the ethanol/placebo clamp.

PlaceboDRUG

Control: no alcohol, administered for a total of 90 minutes.

PlaceboDRUG

Control: no iomazenil, administered for a total of 10 minutes

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Biphasic Ethanol Effects Scale (BAES)

A 14-item scale with 7 items designated to assess stimulant effects associated with the ascending limb of ethanol intoxication and 7 items developed to measure sedative effects associated with the descending limb of ethanol intoxication. The BAES full scale would be 0 to 140. However, the scale itself is analyzed by breaking up the full 14 item scale into 2 parts - sedation and stimulation. Therefore, the total score for sedation ranges from 0 to 70, with higher scores indicating more sedation, and the total score for stimulation also ranges from 0 to 70, with higher scores indicating more stimulation. Timepoints: Administered 160 mins (M160) and 10 mins (M10) prior to the target ethanol/placebo dose being reached, when the target ethanol dose (BrAC of 0.1%)/placebo has been reached (0), and 15 (P15), 70 (P70), 90 (P90), and 150 (P150) minutes after the target ethanol/placebo dose has been reached.

Time frame: Administered 160 mins and 10 mins prior to the target ethanol/placebo dose being reached, when the target ethanol dose (BrAC of 0.1%)/placebo has been reached, and 15, 70, 90, 150, and 240 minutes after the target ethanol/placebo dose has been reached.