Potentiation of the Depressant Action of Alcohol by Adrenalin

In Vivo Measurements of Ethanol Concentration in Rabbit Brain by 1H Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

“…This study demonstrates the usefulness of in vivo 'H spectroscopy for the noninvasive, quantitative, chemically specific measurement of the ethanol concentration in brain. Combined in vivo and extractbased measurements confirmed the rapidly achieved and sustained equivalence of blood and brain ethanol concentrations implied by earlier invasive techniques (Harger et al, 1937;Hulpieu and Cole, 1946;Roach and Reese, 1971;Veloso et al, 1972;Chin, 1979;Erickson, 1979).…”

“…The applicable form of the Fick equation is CBF = net influx/arteriovenous concentration difference To illustrate the method, we estimated CBF in the observed sensitive volume of the four rabbits that received ethanol intraarterially, using the initial net ethanol influx into brain and the earliest available blood values. Ethanol was infused rapidly into the lower abdominal aorta; before entering the internal carotid artery, it was diluted by both admixture with unlabeled venous blood and first-pass entry of ethanol into tissues perfused by the abdominal aorta and its branches (Harger et al, 1937;Hulpieu and Cole, 1946;Ho et al, 1972;Akesson, 1974). CBF values of 87-1 18 ml/min/100 g were calculated, assuming an internal carotid artery concentration of 30.6-32.0 mM.…”

“…Descriptions of its effects on the nervous system were the earliest antecedents of modern pharmacology (Lennox, 1941;Victor and Adams, 1953;Isbell et al, 1955). The pharmacokinetics of ethanol in blood, CSF, and brain were first elucidated during the early decades of this century (Mehrtens and Newman, 1933;Harger et al, 1937;Hulpieu and Cole, 1946;Wagner et al, 1976;Chin, 1979;Erickson, 1979). At the legal definition of intoxication (2 1.7 mmol/L in blood), ethanol is the most concentrated small organic molecule in brain and exerts significant effects on neural function (Goldstein, 1975;Kalant, 1975;Majchrowicz, 1975).…”