The effect of ethanol on cerebral glycogen levels in the chick embryo.

Ethanol (10 to 50 micro-liters/egg) was injected into the albumen of the 13 day chick embryo. The control solution and ethanol carrier was bacteriostatic saline (0.1 ml). The KOH-alcohol-Anthrone colorimetric method was used for glycogen determination. Ethanol at 20 or 30 mul/egg lowered the mean cerebral glycogen (p less than 0.05). Higher dosages elevated cerebral glycogen over the same time period (p less than 0.05). The glycogen-depleting effect of 20 mul/egg and the glycogen increasing effect of 40 mul/egg were maintained through 168 hours of ethanol exposure (20 days incubation).