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This paper reports interferometric studies of the contents and concentrations of proteins in the cellular structures of neurons of the sensorimotor cortex (layers III, V) and in the region of the caudate nucleus of the neostriatum (Golgi type II cells) in Wistar rats with high, intermediate, and low levels of ethanol preference. The greatest differences between groups of animals in terms of cell size and protein metabolism were seen in the cortex. Along with measures correlating with initial ethanol preference (cell body size, nucleus size, and cytoplasm size of cortical neurons, cytoplasmic protein content, etc.), a number of measures were found to show statistically significant differences which did not correlate with preference (nuclear protein contents and concentrations in cortical neurons of layers III and V). These data may suggest the existence of another significant measure responsible for the difference between the groups and, possibly, more closely correlated with the analytical-synthetic functions of the central nervous system.

Cytochemical techniques revealed that the content of the cytoplasm albumins and the size of the cortex neurons depended on the level of alcohol preference in rats. The neurons nucleus' proteins, however, do not depend on the alcohol preference and are associated with their cognitive characteristics rather.

The relationship of Na,K-ATPase of erythrocytes and MgCl2 concentration in the incubation medium was studied in rats preferring ethanol (PE) and rejecting ethanol (RE) normally and 3 months after chronic alcoholization. The dependence of erythrocyte Na,K-ATPase on MgCl2 in PE and RE animals before alcoholization was similar. The chronic effect of alcohol on rats resulted in increase of Na,K-ATPase both in PE and RE rats; however, Mg(2+)-dependence of increase of Na,K-ATPase differed in animals with different response to alcohol: in PE rats, the per cent of increasing activity of Na,K-ATPase declined with the growth of MgCl2 concentration and in RE rats increased. It is concluded that the reaction to alcohol of the functional activity of plasma membranes differs in rats with different alcohol motivation.