Abstract
Aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in brain has been studied for many years. However, the question of its role in the actions of ethanol in the brain has not been resolved. We have utilized mice and rats selectively bred for sensitivity or resistance to the initial hypnotic effects of ethanol to gain some insight into the possible involvement of brain aldehyde dehydrogenase in the actions of ethanol. We compared the levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in the brains of these selected lines of rodents by histochemical methods. It was found that, although aldehyde dehydrogenase activity was detected in many areas of the brain, only in the cerebellar Purkinje cells was there a difference between sensitive and resistant lines of mice or rats. The resistant lines (Short Sleep mice and Low Alcohol Sensitive rats) had statistically higher levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase than did the sensitive lines (Long Sleep mice and High Alcohol Sensitive rats). Although this does not prove that aldehyde dehydrogenase or aldehydes are involved in the central actions of ethanol, it provides another piece of evidence in this direction.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.