Alcohol, in a single pharmacological dose, decreases brain gangliosides.
Alcohol penetrates into cell membranes, fluidizing and disordering the microenvironment. Here we report that associated with the disordering is a reduction of the normal level of brain gangliosides of adult male rats. The maximum decrement occurred in all major classes of gangliosides at 4 to 8 hours after a single pharmacological dose (3 gm/kg, IP). Because gangliosides have diverse, important functions in cell membranes, this effect of alcohol might be a basis for some of its intoxicating and addicting properties.
D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D005732:Gangliosides; D000431:Ethanol