ABSTRACT
Ingestion of ethanol can lead to a variety of biochemical changes some of which are summarised in Figure 4.1. These diverse effects have made it difficult to identify those that are primarily responsible for the phenomena of tolerance, dependence and tissue damage, although there has been no shortage of theories attempting to account for them. It may, however, be possible to eliminate some of the biochemical changes as being of secondary importance and to indicate those areas which would repay further detailed investigation. In this chapter we will first consider some of the problems that have hindered the understanding of the biochemical basis of ethanol-induced dependence and tissue damage and then discuss some of the evidence concerning the possible mechanisms involved.
