Effect of ethanol on the metabolism of brain catecholamines

✍ Scribed by A. Carlsson; T. Magnusson; T. H. Svensson; B. Waldeck

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1973
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 516 KB
• Volume: 30
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0033-3158
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00422791

✦ Synopsis

Ethanol, 7 g/kg, was given orally to mice. At various time intervals thereafter the animals received 3I-I-tyrosine and the net accumulation of all-noradrenaline and 3H-dopamine in the brain during 30 min was measured. In some of the experiments the animals were divided into two groups with different degrees of intoxication. In general the accumulation of ~ increased following ethanol, more markedly in the severely than in the less severely intoxicated group. The former group also showed a higher blood ethanol level than the latter. Furthermore, the ratio 3H-dopamine/~ was significantly increased by ethanol. There were no certain changes in the specific activity of 3H-tyrosine in brain and plasma. The effect of ethanol on the ~ accumulation was prevented by nialamide. Endogenous noradrenaline in the brain was reduced by about 15~ by ethanol. The only effect of ethanol observed on brain dopamine was a slight and transient decrease.