Effects of Ethanol on Ionic Conductances in the Squid Axon Membrane

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Abstract
This paper reviews studies of the effect of ethanol on impulse propagation in single nerve fibers. Voltage clamp experiments on squid giant axons yield the most conclusive results. They show that the sodium conductance increase associated with excitation is reduced by ethanol. There is also a small but variable simultaneous reduction in the maximum potassium conductance. The action potential and voltage clamp results are self-consistent on the basis of computation with the Hodgkin and Huxley equations. The high ethanol concentration required to block impulse transmission indicates that the axon per se is more resistant to alcohol than other parts of the nervous system.