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Membrane Fluidity and Alcohol Dependence
Author(s) -
Bourhis Bernard Le,
Beauge Francoise,
Aufrere Gilles,
Nordmann Roger
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1986.tb05100.x
Subject(s) - membrane fluidity , alcohol , psychology , membrane , chemistry , biochemistry
Rats were chronically intoxicated with alcohol by exposing them to increasing concentrations of ethanol vapor over a 4‐week period. They were tested for alcohol consumption in a free choice situation of water and 10% (v/v) alcohol. On the basis of their intakes they were divided into alcohol‐dependent and nondependent groups. Synaptosome membrane fluidity evaluated by fluorescence polarization was compared between the two groups and against nonintoxicated controls. The intoxicated animals had a lower membrane fluidity than controls, mainly because of a highly significant increase of rigidity in the alcohol‐dependent group. Furthermore, membrane fluidity was found to be correlated with the degree of behavioral dependence (i.e., alcohol intake during the free choice period).