Time course of ethanol's effects on brain prostaglandins in LS and SS mice

Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors antagonize behavioral responses to alcohols. Recent work has shown that ethanol increases brain prostaglandin (PG) levels. The study reported here examined the time course for ethanol-stimulated brain PGE and PGF production in Long Sleep and Short Sleep mice, animals bred selectively for high vs. low acute response to ethanol. Increases in brain PGE levels correlated highly with the absorption phase but only partially with the elimination phase of ethanol. PGF levels correlated significantly with blood ethanol levels across the entire three hour period. These results, plus sex and genotype interactions, provide further evidence to support the hypothesis that ethanol produces its intoxicating effects to a significant degree through a prostaglandin mediated mechanism.