Adaptation to Ethanol in Cultured Neural Cells and Human Lymphocytes From Alcoholics

The neurological and behavioral complications of alcoholism are major problems in medicine and in society. The molecular events accounting for intoxication, tolerance, and physical dependence after alcohol abuse are poorly understood. Current evidence suggests that ethanol intercalates into neural cell membranes and induces adaptive changes in neuronal function. Acute and chronic ethanol-induced changes in membrane order and membrane constituents have been reported, but experiments using different animals, different strains of the same animals, or the same strains in different laboratories have yielded conflicting results. A most serious problem derives from the heterogeneity of brain. Biochemical changes restricted to selected brain regions, cell types, or specific membrane components may be difficult to detect in crude brain preparations.