Administration of ethanol for 40 days, at 10.53 +/- 0.25 g/kg/day did not modify levels of dopamine (DA) or 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in the striatum of the rat; however, the concentration of homovanillic acid (HVA) and the ratio of turnover were increased in a statistically significant way (P < 0.05). Twenty-four hours after withdrawal of ethanol appears as the central time of the ethanol-induced abstinence syndrome, showing noticeable decreases in levels of DA (P < 0.05) and DOPAC (P < 0.05), with respect to control and chronically ethanol-treated groups. The concentrations of DA, DOPAC and HVA and ratio of turnover values showed a tendency to return to control normal levels of 48 hr after ethanol withdrawal, although the differences still showed statistical significance (P < 0.05). The intraperitoneal injection of saline, the water soluble benzodiazepine midazolam, the barbiturate thiopental and somatostatin, in single doses, resulted in a noticeable increase in levels of DA, DOPAC and HVA and ratio of turnover values. The intraperitoneal injection of midazolam produced statistically significant decreases in levels of DOPAC and ratio of turnover values (P < 0.01) in rats 48 hr after withdrawal of ethanol, with respect to control and chronically ethanol-treated animals, in contrast to the absence of changes produced when injecting thiopental or somatostatin.