Long-term ethanol treatment elicits changes in nicotinic receptor binding in only a few brain regions.
Chronic nicotine treatment will produce an upregulation of brain nicotinic receptors, and rats treated for 5 months with ethanol had increased [3H]nicotine binding in two of the three brain regions that were studied. However, studies using short-term treatment did not detect an effect of ethanol on mouse brain nicotinic receptor numbers. Therefore, LS and SS mice were force-fed ethanol (15%, v/v) in the drinking water for 6 months. The LS mice developed tolerance to ethanol as measured by Y-maze crossing and rearing activity, body temperature, and sleep time. No evidence for tolerance to ethanol was seen in the SS mice. However, the SS mice showed increases in [3H] nicotine binding in thalamus and an increase in [125I]alpha-bungarotoxin binding in the cerebellum and superior colliculus. LS mice had reduced levels of hippocampal [125I]alpha-bungarotoxin binding. Thus, long-term ethanol treatment may affect brain nicotinic receptor binding but the effect is limited to only a few brain regions and may be influenced by genetic factors.
Booker
T K
TK
Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309, USA.
Collins
A C
AC
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002038:Bungarotoxins / Q000378:metabolism; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D007700:Kinetics; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009538:Nicotine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000378:metabolism; D013788:Thalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D014316:Tritium
D002038:Bungarotoxins; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D014316:Tritium; D000431:Ethanol; D009538:Nicotine