The effects of aliphatic alcohols on the biophysical and biochemical correlates of membrane function.

The simplicity of the structure of aliphatic alcohols suggests that their interaction with receptors in the classical sense is unlikely. The actions of alcohols may involve a relatively nonspecific disruption of cell membranes, possibly physically dissolving into neuronal membranes especially, resulting in the malfunction of normal physiological processes. Studies of alcohol-membrane interactions have employed the use of artificial and nonneural membranes, invertebrate neurons for electrophysiological measurements and brain tissue for studying ion fluxes and enzymatic activities. For the most part these studies have been inclusive because high concentrations of alcohols were needed to elicit any effect. Also, it is difficult to extrapolate the data to in vivo mammalian systems, especially relative to the clinical signs of depression of the central nervous system.