Control of alcohol addiction by SKV therapy--its action on water, food intake, brain function and cell membrane composition.

ABSTRACT

Alcohol being easily permeable through cell membrane causes toxic damage to many tissues. Rats drinking aqueous ethanol (25% v/v) for 120 days and 240 days showed an initial rise in body weight. The reduced rate in weight gain in chronic alcoholism is associated with a fall in food intake. Ethanol ingesting animals showed slow response to stimuli and increase in blood ethanol and serum GGTP levels. Liver plasma membrane, kidney brush-border membrane and pancreatic plasma membrane from alcoholic rats showed significant alterations in cholesterol/phospholipid molar ratio and membrane ATPases. Water retention with the enlargement of liver and kidney associated with increased fluid consumption are also seen during alcoholism. SKV by breaking alcohol dependence reduces drinking, lowers blood ethanol level and fluid intake without developing withdrawal symptoms. Restriction of ethanol intake by SKV therapy resulted in the reversal of organ enlargement and membrane composition in alcoholics.