The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

The concentration-dependent effects of ethanol on Caenorhabditis elegans behaviour

The concentration-dependent effects of ethanol on Caenorhabditis elegans behaviour
The concentration-dependent effects of ethanol on Caenorhabditis elegans behaviour
The effects of ethanol on the brain are concentration dependent. Low concentrations (mM) intoxicate, while greater than 100 mM anaesthetize. Of most relevance to human alcohol addiction are mechanisms of intoxication. Previously, Caenorhabditis elegans has been employed in genetic screens to define effectors of intoxication. Here, we inform interpretation of these studies by providing evidence that ethanol rapidly equilibriates across C. elegans cuticle. Importantly, the effect of ethanol on muscle activity rapidly reaches steady-state, and the concentration-dependence of the effect is very similar in intact animals and exposed muscle. Thus the cuticle does not present an absorption barrier for ethanol, and furthermore the internal concentration is likely to approach that applied externally. Thus, modelling intoxication in C. elegans requires exposure to external ethanol less than 100 mM. Furthermore, the permeability of the cuticle to ethanol enables analysis of precisely controlled concentration-dependent effects of acute, chronic, and episodic ethanol exposure on behaviour.

EPG, electropharyngeogram
1470-269X
411-417
Mitchell, P.H.
165c5fcc-1ae9-4fd4-822f-7c4156f5de74
Bull, K.
a9291d1b-339f-4b4c-a510-17de496d96be
Glautier, S.
964468b2-3ad7-40cc-b4be-e35c7dee518f
Hopper, N.A.
ddc67e10-c632-4400-9b27-a93de6baabd7
Holden-Dye, L.
8032bf60-5db6-40cb-b71c-ddda9d212c8e
O'Connor, V.
8021b06c-01a0-4925-9dde-a61c8fe278ca
Mitchell, P.H.
165c5fcc-1ae9-4fd4-822f-7c4156f5de74
Bull, K.
a9291d1b-339f-4b4c-a510-17de496d96be
Glautier, S.
964468b2-3ad7-40cc-b4be-e35c7dee518f
Hopper, N.A.
ddc67e10-c632-4400-9b27-a93de6baabd7
Holden-Dye, L.
8032bf60-5db6-40cb-b71c-ddda9d212c8e
O'Connor, V.
8021b06c-01a0-4925-9dde-a61c8fe278ca

Mitchell, P.H., Bull, K., Glautier, S., Hopper, N.A., Holden-Dye, L. and O'Connor, V. (2007) The concentration-dependent effects of ethanol on Caenorhabditis elegans behaviour. The Pharmacogenomics Journal, 7 (6), 411-417. (doi:10.1038/sj.tpj.6500440).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The effects of ethanol on the brain are concentration dependent. Low concentrations (mM) intoxicate, while greater than 100 mM anaesthetize. Of most relevance to human alcohol addiction are mechanisms of intoxication. Previously, Caenorhabditis elegans has been employed in genetic screens to define effectors of intoxication. Here, we inform interpretation of these studies by providing evidence that ethanol rapidly equilibriates across C. elegans cuticle. Importantly, the effect of ethanol on muscle activity rapidly reaches steady-state, and the concentration-dependence of the effect is very similar in intact animals and exposed muscle. Thus the cuticle does not present an absorption barrier for ethanol, and furthermore the internal concentration is likely to approach that applied externally. Thus, modelling intoxication in C. elegans requires exposure to external ethanol less than 100 mM. Furthermore, the permeability of the cuticle to ethanol enables analysis of precisely controlled concentration-dependent effects of acute, chronic, and episodic ethanol exposure on behaviour.

Text
login?target=http:%2F%2Feprints.soton.ac.uk%2F45117%2F1%2F6500440a1.pdf - Other
Download (7kB)

More information

Published date: 1 December 2007
Keywords: EPG, electropharyngeogram

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 56333
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/56333
ISSN: 1470-269X
PURE UUID: a97db076-585b-4baf-a113-dac368252c15
ORCID for S. Glautier: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8852-3268
ORCID for L. Holden-Dye: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9704-1217
ORCID for V. O'Connor: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3185-5709

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 06 Aug 2008
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:13

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: P.H. Mitchell
Author: K. Bull
Author: S. Glautier ORCID iD
Author: N.A. Hopper
Author: L. Holden-Dye ORCID iD
Author: V. O'Connor ORCID iD

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×