Alterations of erythrocyte membrane organization in alcoholics.

Studies of fluorescence polarization of DPH have shown that erythrocyte membrane "fluidity" and fluidization by ethanol are significantly reduced in alcoholics. By using probes of the polar part of the membrane, ANS and TMA-DPH, in addition to DPH, it was shown in the present study that disturbances also exist in the polar region of the membrane which probably are related to changes in surface glycoconjugates. Furthermore, the acute fluidizing effect of ethanol was correlated with the capacity of the membrane to bind ethanol, which in turn appeared to be linked to the glycans. Chronic ethanol abuse thus causes complex disturbances of membrane organization at different levels of the membrane.