title: Dopamine metabolism and receptor function after acute and chronic ethanol.
abstract: Acute ethanol treatment in rats elicits a selective increase in dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) content in striatum. In contrast, striatal DOPAC concentration does not differ from normal values after chronic ethanol treatment. Chronic administration of ethanol however causes a selective increase of specific [3H]spiroperidol binding and met-enkephalin content in the striatum. Kinetic analysis of [3H]spiroperidol binding data shows that after chronic ethanol treatment there is a significant increase in the affinity constant rather than in the number of binding sites for the ligand. Our results support the hypothesis that dopaminergic mechanisms at both pre- and postsynaptic level may be involved in the mediation of some of the central effects observed after ethanol consumption.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000378:metabolism; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity; D051381:Rats; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013134:Spiperone / Q000378:metabolism; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D000431:Ethanol; D013134:Spiperone; D004298:Dopamine