ABSTRACT
Research on the deleterious effects of alcohol on the nervous system has focused primarily on neurons. Yet it has been increasingly pointed out that glial cells may play an important role in the effects of ethanol in the developing and adult brain. As comprehensive reviews have summarized earlier research on the effects of alcohol on glial cells, both in vitro and in vivo,1-4 this chapter will focus on selected aspects of the interactions of alcohol with astroglia, with an emphasis on astrocytes and on the developmental neurotoxicity of ethanol.
