ABSTRACT
Until recently, the psychiatric and somatic effects of alcohol were considered to result from “nonspecific” membrane fluidizing properties. However, the discovery that alcohol acts on receptorgated ion channels (GABA
, NMDA, and 5HT
) in a saturable and specific manner has now led to the belief that the behavioral and neurochemical properties of alcohol are the consequence of a number of specific receptor interactions of this chemical in the brain. Besides its interactions with GABA
, NMDA, and 5HT
receptors, alcohol has also been found to specifically interact with the dopaminergic, opioidergic, as well as adenosine receptors. Overall, the investigation into alcohol’s specific receptor interactions is still evolving; thus, the following brief overview should be taken only as snapshot of a rapidly evolving field of research. Alcohol’s actions on such a multitude of target systems may be due to the convergence of more than just one mechanism of this simple chemical. Such a high degree of redundancy in the molecular and functional effects of alcohol still awaits a clarification.
