BACKGROUD: Ethanol can influence neural development and the ability of learning and memory, but its mechanism of the neural toxicity is not clear till now. Endogenous nitric oxide (NO) as a gaseous messenger is proved to play an important role in the formation of synaptic plasticity, transference of neuronal information and the neural development, but excessive nitro oxide can result in neurotoxicity. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of acute alcoholism on the learning and memory ability and the content of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in brain tissue of rats. DESIGN: A randomized controlled animal experiment. SETTING: Department of Physiology, Xinxiang Medical College. MATERIALS: Eighteen male clean-degree SD rats of 18-22 weeks were raised adaptively for 2 days, and then randomly divided into control group (n = 8) and experimental group (n = 10). The nNOS immunohistochemical reagent was provided by Beijing Zhongshan Golden Bridge Biotechnology Co.,Ltd. Y-maze was produced by Suixi Zhenghua Apparatus Plant. METHODS: The experiment was carried out in the laboratory of the Department of Physiology, Xinxiang Medical College from June to October in 2005. ① Rats in the experimental group were intraperitoneally injected with ethanol (2.5 g/kg) which was dissolved in normal saline (20%). The loss of righting reflex and ataxia within 5 minutes indicated the successful model. Whereas rats in the control group were given saline of the same volume. ② Examinations of learning and memory ability: The Y-maze tests for learning and memory ability were performed at 6 hours after the models establishment. The rats were put into the Y-maze separately. The test was performed in a quiet and dark room. There was a lamp at the end of each of three pathways in Y-maze and the base of maze had electric net. All the lamps of the three pathways were turned on for 3 minutes and then turned off. One lamp was turned on randomly, and the other two delayed automatically. In 5 seconds after alternation, pulsating electric current presented in the base of unsafe area to stimulate rat’s feet to run to the safe area. The lighting lasted for 15 seconds as one test. Running from unsafe area to safe area at one time in 10 seconds was justified as successful. Such test was repeated for 10 times for each rat and the successful frequency was recorded. The qualified standard of maze test was that the rat arrived in the safe area 9 times during 10 experiments. The number of trainings for the qualified standard was used to represent the result of spatial learning. ③ Determination of the content of nNOS in brain tissue: After the Y-maze test, the rats were anaesthetized, and blood was let from the incision on right auricle, transcardially perfused via the left ventricle with about 200 mL saline, then fixed by perfusion of 40 g/L paraformaldehyde. Hippocampal CA1 region, corpus striatum and cerebellum were taken to prepare serial freezing coronal sections. The nNOS contents in the brain regions were determined with the immunohistochemical methods to reflect the changes of nitric oxide in brain tissue. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The changes of learning and memory ability and the changes of the nNOS contents in the brain tissue of rats with acute alcoholism were observed. RESULTS: One rat in the experimental group was excluded due to its slow reaction to electric stimulation in the Y-maze test, and the other 17 rats were involved in the analysis of results. ① The training times to reach qualifying standards of Y-maze in the experimental group was more than that in the control group [(34.33 ±13.04), (27.50±8.79) times, P < 0.05]. ② Forms and numbers of nNOS positive neurons in brain tissue: It could be observed under light microscope that in the hippocampal CA1 region, there were fewer nNOS positive neurons, which were lightly stained, and the processes were not clear enough; But the numbers of the positive neurons which were deeply stained as buffy were obviously increased in the experimental group, the cell body and cytoplasm of process were evenly stained, but the nucleus was not stained. The nNOS positive neurons in corpus striatum had similar forms and size in the experimental group and control group. The form of the nNOS positive neurons in cerebellum were similar between the two groups. The numbers of nNOS positive neurons in hippocampal CA1 region and corpus striatum in the experimental group [(18.22±7.47), (11.38±5.00) cells/high power field] were obviously higher than those in the control group [(10.15±4.24), (6.15±3.69) cells/high power field. The number of nNOS positive neurons in cerebellum had no significant difference between the two groups [(49.56±18.84), (44.43±15.42) cells/high power field, P > 0.05]. CONCLUSION: Acute alcoholism may impair learning and memory ability, and nitric oxide may be involved in mediating the neurotoxic role of ethanol. BACKGROUD: Ethanol can influence neural development and the ability of learning and memory, but its mechanism of the neural toxicity is not clear till now. Endogenous nitric oxide (NO) as a gaseous messenger is proved to play an important role in the formation of synaptic plasticity, transference of neuronal information and the neural development, but excessive nitro oxide can result in neurotoxicity. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of acute alcoholism on the learning and memory ability and the content of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in brain tissue of rats. DESIGN: A randomized controlled animal experiment. SETTING: Department of Physiology, Xinxiang Medical College. MATERIALS: Eighteen male clean-degree SD rats of 18-22 weeks were raised adaptively for 2 days, and then randomly divided into control group (n = 8) and experimental group (n = 10). The nNOS immunohistochemical reagent was provided by Beijing Zhongshan Golden Bridge Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Y-maze was produced by METHODS: The experiment was carried out in the laboratory of the Department of Physiology, Xinxiang Medical College from June to October in 2005. ① Rats in the experimental group were injected intraperitoneally with ethanol (2.5 g / kg) which was Dissolved in normal saline (20%). The loss of righting reflex and ataxia within 5 minutes indicated the successful model. Whereas rats in the control group were given saline of the same volume. ② Examinations of learning and memory ability: The Y-maze tests for learning and memory ability were performed at 6 hours after the models establishment. The rats were put into the Y-maze separately. The test was performed in a quiet and dark room. There was a lamp at the end of each of three pathways in the Y-maze and the base of maze had electric net. All the lamps of the three pathways were turned on for 3 minutes and then turned off. One lamp was turned on randomly, and the other two delayed automatically. In 5 seconds after alternation, pulsating electric current presented in the base of unsafe area to stimulate rat’s feet to run to the safe area. The lighting lasted for 15 seconds as one test. Running from unsafe area to safe area at one time in 10 seconds was justified as The test was repeated for 10 times for each rat and the successful frequency was recorded. The qualified standard of maze test was that the rat arrived in the safe area 9 times during 10 experiments. The number of trainings for the qualified standard was used to represent the result of spatial learning. ③ Determination of the content of nNOS in brain tissue: After the Y-maze test, the rats were anaesthetized, and blood was let from the incision on right auricle, transcardially perfused via the left ventricle with about 200 mL saline, then fixed by perfusion of 40 g / L paraformaldehyde. Hippocampal CA1 region, corpus striatum and cerebellum were taken to prepare serial freezing coronal sections. The nNOS contents in the brain regions were determined with the immunohistochemical methods to reflect the changes of nitric oxide in brain tissue. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The changes of learning and memory ability and the changes of the nNOS contents in the brain tissue of rats with acute alcoholism were observed. RESULTS : One rat in the experimental group was excluded due to its slow reaction to electric stimulation in the Y-maze test, and the other 17 rats were involved in the analysis of results. ① The training times to reach qualifying standards of Y-maze in the experimental group was more than that in the control group [(34.33 ± 13.04), (27.50 ± 8.79) times, P <0.05]. ② Forms and numbers of nNOS positive neurons in brain tissue: It could be observed under light microscope that in the hippocampal CA1 region, there were fewer nNOS positive neurons, which were lightly stained, and the processes were not clear enough; But the numbers of the positive neurons which were deeply stained as buffy were obvious ly increased in the experimental group, the cell body and cytoplasm of process were evenly stained, but the nucleus was not stained. The nNOS positive neurons in corpus striatum had similar forms and size in the experimental group and control group. The form of the nNOS positive The numbers of nNOS positive neurons in hippocampal CA1 region and corpus striatum in the experimental group [(18.22 ± 7.47), (11.38 ± 5.00) cells / high power field] were obviously higher than those The number of nNOS positive neurons in cerebellum had no significant difference between the two groups [(49.56 ± 18.84), (44.43 ± 15.42) cells / high power field, P> 0.05]. CONCLUSION: Acute alcoholism may impair learning and memory ability, and nitric oxide may be involved in mediating the neurotoxic role of ethanol.