Brain membrane disordering related to acute ethanol administration in naive and short-term ethanol-intoxicated rats

• Published in: Drug and alcohol dependence 1982-10, Vol.10 (2), p.143-151
• Main Authors: Beaugé, F., Fleuret-Balter, C., Barin, F., Nordmann, J., Nordmann, R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alcoholic Intoxication - enzymology; Animals; Brain - enzymology; Fluorescence Polarization - methods; Humans; Male; Membrane Fluidity - drug effects; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase - analysis; Synaptic Membranes - enzymology
• ISSN: 0376-8716; 1879-0046
• DOI: 10.1016/0376-8716(82)90005-9

Crude synaptic membrane fluidity (checked by fluorescence polarization) together with ( Na + + K +)ATPase activity were examined 18 hours after a single oral ethanol administration (5 g/kg bwt.) to naive rats and to rats previously intubated with ethanol repeatedly during 4 days. The sensibility of both parameters to different concentrations of ethanol added in vitro (0.175 M-1.400 M) was also determined. Although no changes in the basal intrinsic fluidity were found, ( Na + + K +)ATPase activity increased slightly in both conditions. The fluidizing as well as the ATPase inhibiting effects following the addition of ethanol in vitro were markedly increased 18 hours after ethanol administration to naive rats. This hypersensitization was no longer apparent in rats pretreated with ethanol during 4 days. The acute ethanol-induced hypersensitization found in naive rats appears not to be related to an unspecific stress or to changes in body temperature. The disappearance of this hypersensitization in short-term alcoholintoxicated animals may represent the first stage of tolerance acquisition.