RAPIDLY DEVELOPING FUNCTIONAL TOLERANCE TO ETHANOL IS ACCOMPANIED BY INCREASED ERYTHROCYTE CHOLESTEROL IN MICE

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 223  (2) , 472-476
Abstract
The time course for development of functional tolerance to the ataxic effects of ethanol in 4 genetically distinct mouse populations was studied. Two inbred strains (C57BL/6J and DBA/2J) 2 lines of mice (long-sleep and short-sleep) selectively bred for differences in acute ethanol sensitivity were used. Mice were injected i.p. with ethanol in doses that produced ataxia and were tested repeatedly for their ability to balance on a wooden rod. When they regained their balance at threshold, brain ethanol levels were measured in some mice and booster injections of ethanol were administered to the remaining animals. This sequence was repeated for 5 injections, delivering a total of 6 g/kg of ethanol to the final group of animals. Functional tolerance developed in all 4 populations of mice, as evidenced by threshold brain ethanol levels that were significantly higher after 2 or 3 successive injections than after 1 injection. The magnitude of tolerance was not increased by practice on the dowel. To investigate whether alterations in membrane lipid composition accompanied this rapid development of tolerance, erythrocytes were used as a model system and the cholesterol and phospholipid content of their membranes was measured. The erythrocyte membranes from ethanol-tolerant mice of each population contained more cholesterol than those from controls. The erythrocyte membrane phospholipid content of ethanol-tolerant animals changed only slightly in 2 populations.