Alcohol abuse and alcoholism are international problems whose costs economical ly, psychologically and medically have been well documented. Alcohol is a unique drug in that the effects of excessive use can have a deleterious effect on most if not all organs of the body. The brain is one of the organs most affected by excessive alcohol consumption. Effects on the brain can be seen in cognitive function, brain structure and neurochemistry. Over the past few years, there have been significant advances made in understanding how alcohol affects brain neurochemistry. This book examines four major areas, i. e. , membrane lipids, receptors and ion channels, second messengers, and gene expression, where significant advancements have been made. The book is divided into four sections based on the four major areas. In each section, data are examined that cover a range of approaches from in vitro to in vivo studies. The section on membrane lipids includes recent developments in how ethanol affects membrane cholesterol domains, polyunsaturated fatty acids, the cause and consequences of phosphatidylethanol formation, and the modulation of membrane protein function by lipid-protein interaction. The second section comprises chapters on NMDA and 5-HT3 receptors, including new aspects on alcohol neurotoxicity and the molecular heterogeneity that may underlie differences in alcohol sensitivity as well as chapters on GABA-gated chloride flux, and calcium channels.

One of the most active and productive areas of biological science in the past decade has been the study of the biochemical and biophysical prop erties of cell membranes. There is little doubt that membranes are essen tial components of all cellular systems and that each type of membrane manifests specific and characteristic cellular functions. In the nervous system, important events such as neurotransmission, receptor binding, ion transport, axonal transport, and cell uptake are all known to take place within the neural cell membrane. Phospholipids, one of the major components of membranes, not only provide the membrane with its structural integrity and physical proper ties, but also play an important role in regulating membrane function. Attention has recently been focused on the asymmetric localization of these molecules, the identification of discrete metabolic pools of phospholipids within the membrane matrix, and their involvement in sig nal transmission. Although synaptic membranes generally lack an active mechanism for the de novo biosynthesis of phospholipids, a number of enzymic routes are present for their interconversions and for facilitating metabolic turnover. Metabolites generated during the interconversion reactions may also exert a great influence in modulating membrane func tions. The phosphogylcerides of neural membranes are especially enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, only very small amounts of these fatty acids are present in the free form, and they are maintained in dynamic equilibrium with the membrane phospholipids."

Alcohol abuse throughout the world is associated with serious social and medical implications. Problems such as intoxication, tol erance, and development of physical dependence have been well recognized. The central nervous system and the liver are especially affected. There is little doubt that alcohol abuse can result in organ damage, which in turn leads to deleterious health consequences to the individual. Understanding ethanol action presents a special and functional diver challenge because of its molecular simplicity sity. In fact, the ability for alcohol to disrupt cellular function is at tributed to its cellular injury without regard to an apparent specific mechanism of action. Nevertheless, the key to an effective treatment to this problem is through research into understanding the mechan isms underlying how ethanol interacts with cells and membranes. This book is the result of a cooperative effort among scientists from many nations who met in a symposium in Taipei, Taiwan, ROC, July 1988. The focus of this book is on experimental ap proaches to better understand the molecular mechanisms of ethanol on the biological system. These recent advances in the examination of the alcohol effects on cellular function are divided into four sec tions. The first section addresses specific actions of ethanol on the central nervous system. The second section is directed to the use of cell cuI tures in ethanol research and the usefulness of cell cultures in examination of the effects of ethanol in vitro."

Alcohol abuse throughout the world is associated with serious social and medical implications. Problems such as intoxication, tol erance, and development of physical dependence have been well recognized. The central nervous system and the liver are especially affected. There is little doubt that alcohol abuse can result in organ damage, which in turn leads to deleterious health consequences to the individual. Understanding ethanol action presents a special and functional diver challenge because of its molecular simplicity sity. In fact, the ability for alcohol to disrupt cellular function is at tributed to its cellular injury without regard to an apparent specific mechanism of action. Nevertheless, the key to an effective treatment to this problem is through research into understanding the mechan isms underlying how ethanol interacts with cells and membranes. This book is the result of a cooperative effort among scientists from many nations who met in a symposium in Taipei, Taiwan, ROC, July 1988. The focus of this book is on experimental ap proaches to better understand the molecular mechanisms of ethanol on the biological system. These recent advances in the examination of the alcohol effects on cellular function are divided into four sec tions. The first section addresses specific actions of ethanol on the central nervous system. The second section is directed to the use of cell cuI tures in ethanol research and the usefulness of cell cultures in examination of the effects of ethanol in vitro."

One of the most active and productive areas of biological science in the past decade has been the study of the biochemical and biophysical prop erties of cell membranes. There is little doubt that membranes are essen tial components of all cellular systems and that each type of membrane manifests specific and characteristic cellular functions. In the nervous system, important events such as neurotransmission, receptor binding, ion transport, axonal transport, and cell uptake are all known to take place within the neural cell membrane. Phospholipids, one of the major components of membranes, not only provide the membrane with its structural integrity and physical proper ties, but also play an important role in regulating membrane function. Attention has recently been focused on the asymmetric localization of these molecules, the identification of discrete metabolic pools of phospholipids within the membrane matrix, and their involvement in sig nal transmission. Although synaptic membranes generally lack an active mechanism for the de novo biosynthesis of phospholipids, a number of enzymic routes are present for their interconversions and for facilitating metabolic turnover. Metabolites generated during the interconversion reactions may also exert a great influence in modulating membrane func tions. The phosphogylcerides of neural membranes are especially enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, only very small amounts of these fatty acids are present in the free form, and they are maintained in dynamic equilibrium with the membrane phospholipids."

Lipid Structure, Domains, and Proteins: Molecular Mechanisms of Ethanol and Anesthetic Actions (C.D. Stubbs, E. Rubin). Membrane Cholesterol and Ethanol (W.G. Wood et al.). The Effects of Ethanol on Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Composition (N. Salem, Jr., G. Ward). Receptors and Ion Channels: Sensitivity of NMDA Receptors to Acute and in Utero Ethanol Exposure (S.W. Leslie, M.S. Weaver). Molecular Mechanisms of Alcohol Neurotoxicity (F.T. Crews et al.). Second Messenger Systems and Kinases: Nucleoside Transport and EthanolInduced Heterologous Desensitization (A. Gordon et al.). Ethanol and Phospholipid Dependent Signal Transduction (J.B. Hoek et al.). Gene Expression: Regulation of Neuronal Gene Transcription by Ethanol (M.F. Miles et al.). Effect of Acute and Chronic Administration of Ethanol on cfos Expression in Brain (F. Le et al.). 19 additional articles. Index.