[Change in the biogenic amine level in the rat brain in ethanol poisoning].

Variations in the content of biogenic amines were studied by fluorometry in the brain of rats administered ethanol at a single dose (1.5 and 6 g/kg, intraperitoneally) and chronically at a concentration raised from 10 to 40% for 2 months, and after ethanol withdrawal. In acute ethanol poisoning the serotonin concentration grows abruptly while the content of noradrenalin and dopamine drops down. On the contrary, in chronic ethanol poisoning the content of dopamine and noradrenalin rises, while that of serotonin does not differ from the control level. Ethanol withdrawal entails a decrease in the serotonin level apart from noradrenalin and dopamine accumulation by the brain. It is suggested that interrelated variations in the content of biogenic amines in the central nervous system may underlie the mechanism of depression development in acute ethanol poisoning and convulsant activity after it is discontinued.