The effect of prolonged ethanol administration and its withdrawal on catecholamine turnover in the rat brain

Dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NA) levels and their turnover were determined in the rat brain after seven weeks of oral administration of ethanol and five or ten days after its withdrawal. No changes in DA and NA levels were found. Elevation of 14C-DA and 14C-NA accumulation and acceleration of 3H-DA disappearance were shown after prolonged ethanol administration. The effect of ethanol on NA turnover was much smaller than that on DA turnover. Five days after ethanol withdrawal no changes were found in DA and NA turnover. Five days later DA turnover was slightly slower than that in the control animals.