Utilization of ethanol by Caenorhabditis elegans (C.e.)

In an attempt to develop a worm model for studying alcoholism in man, the non-parasitic roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans (C.e.), was exposed daily to a non-lethal amount of ethanol for over a year. Rather than being harmful, the worms thrived on this regimen. Apparently, the absence of ethanol-sensitive, mammalian organs and a different intermediary metabolism of ethanol, allow the worms to utilize the alcohol for useful energy and biosynthetic mechanisms. Thus, C.e. probably would not be the appropriate animal model in which to study the basis of alcoholism in man.