Alcohol abuse throughout the world is associated with serious social and
medical implications. Problems such as intoxication, tol- erance, and
development of physical dependence have been well recognized. The
central nervous system and the liver are especially affected. There is
little doubt that alcohol abuse can result in organ damage, which in
turn leads to deleterious health consequences to the individual.
Understanding ethanol action presents a special and functional diver-
challenge because of its molecular simplicity sity. In fact, the ability
for alcohol to disrupt cellular function is at- tributed to its cellular
injury without regard to an apparent specific mechanism of action.
Nevertheless, the key to an effective treatment to this problem is
through research into understanding the mechan- isms underlying how
ethanol interacts with cells and membranes. This book is the result of a
cooperative effort among scientists from many nations who met in a
symposium in Taipei, Taiwan, ROC, July 1988. The focus of this book is
on experimental ap- proaches to better understand the molecular
mechanisms of ethanol on the biological system. These recent advances in
the examination of the alcohol effects on cellular function are divided
into four sec- tions. The first section addresses specific actions of
ethanol on the central nervous system. The second section is directed to
the use of cell cuI tures in ethanol research and the usefulness of cell
cultures in examination of the effects of ethanol in vitro.
