title: Drug tolerance and biomembranes.
abstract: Our understanding of the structure and function of biomembranes is now at a stage where we can begin to examine drug actions on the membrane bilayer. Cells need a certain optimal degree of fluidity in their membranes and some organisms can adapt their membrane composition to maintain the appropriate fluidity under changing environmental conditions. Chronic administration of membrane-disrupting drugs may evoke such an adaptive process, which would show itself in vivo as drug tolerance.
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001048:Aplysia / Q000502:physiology; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008322:Mammals / Q000502:physiology; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000187:drug effects; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000502:physiology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D008733:Methoxyflurane / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008733:Methoxyflurane; D000431:Ethanol