Recent publication in PNAS by a group of US reseachers showed the interaction between BK channels (one of the Ca and K voltage-gated ion channel, i.e. ion channel that opens and closes in response to changes in electrical potential across the cell membrane ) and ethanol treatment.
Results suggested beta-4 subunit of BK channel could controls ethanol tolerance at the molecular, cellular, and behavioral levels, and could determine individual differences in alcohol abuse and alcoholism.
Information from literature showed that alcohol abuse is the third largest cause of preventable mortality in the world. With this discovery, researchers can fill in the knowledge gap about pathophysiology of alcoholism, as well as determining potential therapeutic targets for alcohol abuse.
Undeniable alcohol abuse causes a lot of problem, for instance fatal road accidents, assaults and violence and some psychological side effects like increase anxiety and cause depression. It's good to see there is a great breakthrough in this study.
references:-
Martin et al. (2008). Identification of a BK channel auxiliary protein controlling molecular and behavioral tolerance to alcohol. PNAS. 105:17543-17548; doi:10.1073/pnas.0801068105
3 comments:
haha, later will have undrunkable man.
then this wil be very sad for ppl that want "forget" sad thing by drinking..
haha, may be there will come new alternative way for those sad ppl liao.
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