Effects of chronic alcohol administration on synaptic membrane Na super(+)-Ca super(2+) exchange activity

The authors have recently reported that ethanol and other n-alkanols added to in vitro assays inhibit the activity of the Na super(+)-Ca super(2+) exchange system in brain synaptic plasma membrane vesicles. The present studies were undertaken to determine whether in vivo chronic ethanol administration leads to alterations in this Na super(+)-Ca super(2+) antiporter that might be indicative of an adaptive response to alcohol. It appears that ethanol-treated animals make a reversible adaptation in their neuronal cell membranes to compensate for the acute effects of ethanol on the Na super(+)-Ca super(2+) antiporter.