Effect of chronic ethanol consumption on central and peripheral type benzodiazepine binding sites in the mouse brain

Following chronic exposure of C57/BL6 mice to ethanol the binding of [3H]Ro5-4864 and [3H]propyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate to benzodiazepine binding sites in the brain was studied. Peripheral-type benzodiazepine binding sites were measured using the probe [3H]Ro5-4864. Chronic ethanol treatment resulted in a significant increase in [3H]Ro5-4864 binding due to a 43% increase in receptor density. The affinity of [3H]Ro5-4864 for the receptor was not significantly affected. The binding of [3H]propyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate to central-type benzodiazepine receptors was not affected by chronic ethanol treatment.