Ethanol affects the function of a neurotransmitter receptor protein without altering the membrane lipid phase.

Using patch-clamp and fluorescence techniques we found that ethanol (10-200 mM) potentiated strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors without having detectable effects on lipid order parameters in mouse spinal cord neurons. Hepthanol (0.01-1 mM), in contrast, did not affect the glycine current, but it altered the core and surface of spinal neuron membranes as detected by changes in 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) and Laurdan fluorescence parameters. These findings support the idea that ethanol affects these membrane proteins without changing lipid fluidity.