Pre-natal and post-natal effects of alcohol in the rat--II. Changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid concentration and adenosine triphosphatase activity in the brain.

The effects of chronic alcohol administration during the pre-natal and/or post-natal period on concentration of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the amygdaloid cortex and striatum and on activities of Na+, K+- and Mg2+ -activated adenosine triphosphatases (ATPases) in the mid-brain and hippocampus were studied. There was a small decrease in the GABA content of both brain regions in those offspring that had received alcohol immediately before, but not in those that were free of the drug at chi the time of death. This suggests that the changes in GABA concentration are due to a direct pharmacological effect of ethanol. A decrease also occurred in the activity of the Mg2+ -activated ATPase in those offspring exposed to alcohol during the period of weaning. This effect could not be attributed to a direct action of the drug, but may be indicative of a longer-term influence of ethanol on membrane transport processes. The increase in the activity of the Na+, K+ -activated ATPase in the mid-brain of rats that were exposed to the drug pre-natally and post-natally and following weaning is probably due to a direct effect of the drug.