Changes in brain cyclic AMP levels during chronic ethanol treatment and withdrawal in the rat

Changes in 3′,5′-cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels in four gross brain areas were determined during ethanol treatment and withdrawal in rat brain. Control levels of cAMP in pmol/mg dry weight were: cortex, 7.1±1.0; cerebellum, 7.1±1.1; midbrain, 9.8 ± 1.1; pons-medulla, 8.2 ± 1.0. In all brain areas, cAMP levels were decreased about 40% by ethanol treatment (intragastric administration; 20% ethanol (w/vol) in saline). Following termination of treatment with ethanol, cAMP levels returned to the normal range. In the cortex and pons-medulla, changes in cAMP levels during the withdrawal reaction correlated (r = 0.81 and 0.71, respectively) temporally with the intensity of hyperactivity.