e suggestion that rapid and chronic tolerance are mechanistically distinct," said Crabbe. "This is interesting because the rodent literature suggests that rapid and chronic tolerance appear likely to represent early and later versions of the same set of brain adaptations to alcohol. The second finding of interest concerns mutant flies with a defective ability to produce octopamine. By testing flies with mutations for many other genes, the authors will be able to test more rigorously their suggestion that different genetic pathways underlie these two forms of tolerance."

Crabbe had specific suggestions for future research in this area. "The authors of this study distinguish between two types of alcohol tolerance, rapid and chronic," he said. "There is a third general type of tolerance which occurs during a single exposure to alcohol, acute functional tolerance, which was not studied here." All three types have been demonstrated in humans, he added.

"If researchers could develop an assay for acute functional tolerance in flies, they would then have a complete set of behavioral assays in parallel to those who work with rodents," said Crabbe. "Then, given the spectacular power of fly genetics, they could analyze the genetic contributions to these three types of tolerance with a thoroughness and speed that greatly outstrips the abilities of those scientists using rodents. By identifying specific genes and pathways, they could settle for once and for all whether these are simply way stations on a single continuum of neural adaptation, or three different sets of brain adaptations of alcohol. In the end, the goal is to move beyond our current understanding, that is, that some humans possess a genetically influenced tendency to develop alcoholism and others do not. The great similarity among the genomes of flies, mice and humans may very well help us to do so."

'"/>


14-Oct-2004

Page: 1 2 3
Related biology news :

1. Using stem cells to help heart attack victims
2. Using Nanotechnology to Improve Health Care in Developing Countries
3. Using science and agriculture to achieve sustainable investments in the new bioeconomy
4. Using an activated-carbon filtering pitcher significantly reduces chemicals in tap water
5. Using chemistry to predict the dynamics of clotting in human blood
6. Using microbes to fuel the US hydrogen economy
7. Using natures most primitive anti-viral defense system to find new approaches to cancer research
8. A step toward halting Alzheimers: Using FDDNP PET to detect disease progression, MCI
9. Using satellite observations to study photosynthetic trends in northern circumpolar high latitudes
10. Using stem cells to repair torn tendons
11. Using minutiae to match fingerprints can be accurate