Ethanol enhances the calcium-dependent stimulus-induced release of endogenous dopamine from slices of rat striatum and nucleus accumbens in vitro.
When slices of striatum from the rat were preincubated for 40 min in calcium-free medium in vitro, the subsequent release of endogenous dopamine (DA) induced by 40 mM KCl was completely calcium-dependent, showing a maximal response in the presence of 1.5 mM CaCl2, and a half-maximal response in the presence of 0.5 mM CaCl2. In this calcium-dependent preparation, ethanol, at concentrations of 80-120 mM, significantly increased the KCl-induced release of endogenous DA from the striatum by 19-29%. This effect was not reproducible in calcium-replete incubation medium (2.0 mM CaCl2), suggesting that the phenomenon was calcium-dependent. Preliminary studies in the nucleus accumbens of the rat showed a similar increase (30%) in the calcium-dependent, KCl-induced release of endogenous DA in the presence of 100 mM ethanol.
Snape
B M
BM
Department of Pharmacology, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
Engel
J A
JA
D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects*
D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D000431:Ethanol; D002118:Calcium; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine