TY - JOUR T1 - CHLORAL ALCOHOLATE: REEVALUATION OF ITS ROLE IN THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE HYPNOTIC EFFECTS OF CHLORAL HYDRATE AND ETHANOL JF - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics JO - J Pharmacol Exp Ther SP - 602 LP - 605 VL - 156 IS - 3 AU - Peter K. Gessner AU - Bernard E. Cabana Y1 - 1967/06/01 UR - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/156/3/602.abstract N2 - The hynotic properties of aqueous solutions of chloral alcoholate were compared in male mice with those of chloral hydrate by determination of ED50's and by sleeping time measurements. It was found that in this species chloral alcoholate is a significantly more potent hypnotic than chloral hydrate, both on a molar and an absolute weight baths. It is also a shorter acting hypnotic than chloral hydrate when equipotent doses are considered. The acute toxicity of aqueous solutions of chloral alcoholate was compared with that of chloral hydrate solutions by determination of the 24-hr, nonaggregated LD50's. It was found that in this same species chloral alcoholate is significantly more toxic on a molar basis than chloral hydrate; nonetheless, chloral alcoholate possesses, in mice, a higher therapeutic ratio and standard safety margin than chloral hydrate. Determination of the osmolality of aqueous solutions of chloral alcoholate leads to the conclusion that the dissociation of chloral alcoholate into chloral hydrate and ethanol is complete within 5 min of dissolution. The hypnotic properties of aqueous chloral alcoholate solutions were found to be indistinguishable from those of an equivalent mixture of chloral hydrate and ethanol. © 1967 by The Williams & Wilkins Company ER -