The Penn State University research, which uncovered findings that have broad importance for addiction research, is the first on chronic alcohol exposure in fruit flies, the university said in a news release. Among the findings is that male fruit flies, which typically woo females, actively court males when given a daily dose of ethanol.

"Physiological evidence supporting various theories about the effect of alcoholic drinks has been lacking," said research team leader Kyung-An Han. A suitable animal model means lab research is possible.

Han's team gave fruit flies a daily dose of ethanol to mimic drinking habits of alcoholics and chronic alcohol abusers. Information from this research can act as a baseline for similar studies in other animals, including humans, Han said.

Because of the research, "we are now just beginning to discover the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neural changes in the brain that result from the chronic use of alcohol and that result in alcohol addiction and other behavior changes," Han said.

The research is published in the PLoS One scientific journal.