The present study assessed the efficacy of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist, SR-141716, in reducing voluntary ethanol intake in selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats. Ethanol (10%, v/v) and food were available in daily 4 h scheduled access periods; water was present 24 h/day. The acute administration of a 2.5 and a 5 mg/kg dose of SR-141716 selectively reduced ethanol i...

The mechanisms by which ethanol induces changes in behavior are not well understood. Here, we show that Caenorhabditis elegans loss-of-function mutations in the synaptic vesicle-associated RAB-3 protein and its guanosine triphosphate exchange factor AEX-3 confer resistance to the acute locomotor effects of ethanol. Similarly, mice lacking one or both copies of Rab3A are resistant to the ataxic ...

In vivo studies in rats demonstrated that acute intragastric administration of ethanol (3 g/kg BW) resulted in a reduced net absorption of fluid and calcium. Thirty minutes after an i.v. injection of 2 microCi 45Ca, the gastrointestinal 45Ca content in ethanol-treated rats was significantly higher than in controls indicating an increase in calcium secretion. The effect of ethanol on calcium mov...

The purpose of this study was to determine the time course of changes in blood levels of various hormones in C57BL/6J mice during exposure to ethanol vapor. Groups of adult male mice were given 2.0 g per kg ethanol intraperitoneally or as continuous vapor for four hours and rates of ethanol elimination were measured. In parallel, blood samples were collected at timed intervals over 5.5 hours du...

Using isolated Leydig cells prepared from adult rat testes, the effects of ethanol on testicular steroido genesis were examined in vitro. Ethanol over a dosage range of 25 to 1000 mg 3⁄4 markedly inhibited gona dotropin-stimulated testosterone production in a dose-dependent fashion. As little as 25 mg 3⁄4 (ca. 6 mM) ethanol was effective in reducing testosterone synthesis by 50%. By using 0.5 m...

The activities of many neuronal proteins are modulated by ethanol, but the fundamental mechanisms underlying behavioral effects of ethanol remain unclear. To identify mechanisms responsible for intoxication, we screened for Caenorhabditis elegans mutants with altered behavioral responses to ethanol. We found that slo-1 mutants, which were previously recognized as having slightly uncoordinated m...

AIM Using a binge-drinking mouse model, we aimed to determine whether hops (Humulus lupulus) in beer is involved in the less damaging effects of acute beer consumption on the liver in comparison with ethanol. METHODS Female C57BL/6 J mice were either fed one iso-alcoholic and iso-caloric bolus dose of ethanol, beer, beer without hops (6 g ethanol/kg body weight) or an iso-caloric bolus of mal...

Dopico, Alejandro M. Ethanol sensitivity of BKCa channels from arterial smooth muscle does not require the presence of the 1-subunit. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 284: C1468–C1480, 2003. First published February 5, 2003; 10.1152/ajpcell.00421.2002.—Ethanol inhibition of largeconductance, Ca2 -activated K (BKCa) channels in aortic myocytes may contribute to the direct contraction of aortic smooth m...

Alcohol addiction is a widespread societal problem, for which there are few treatments. There are significant genetic and environmental influences on abuse liability, and understanding these factors will be important for the identification of susceptible individuals and the development of effective pharmacotherapies. In humans, the level of response to alcohol is strongly predictive of subseque...

Previous studies have shown that stress can increase the response of mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons to acute administration of drugs of abuse included ethanol. In this study, we investigated the possible involvement of the mesocortical dopaminergic pathway in the development of ethanol abuse under stress conditions. To this aim we trained both socially isolated (SI) and group housed (GH) rats ...