title: Effect of ethanol on [3H]dopamine release in rat nucleus accumbens and striatal slices.
abstract: Ethanol (10-200 mM) transiently increased tritium overflow from superfused rat nucleus accumbens slices previously incubated with [3H]dopamine (DA) and [14C]choline. The effect was greater in striatal tissue and did not appear to be a non-specific membrane effect since [14C]acetylcholine (ACh) release was not affected. Lack of antagonism by picrotoxin suggested that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors were not involved. Calcium was not a requirement and the DA uptake blocker, nomifensine, was without effect. Ethanol appeared to be causing [3H]DA release into the cytoplasm. K+ -stimulated release of [3H]DA and [14C]ACh from nucleus accumbens and striatal slices was not affected. Clonidine-mediated inhibition of the K+-evoked release of [3H]DA remained unaltered. Ethanol attenuated the isoproterenol-induced enhancement of [3H]DA release. Ethanol therefore appeared to interact with components of the DA terminal causing a transient increase in the release of neurotransmitter without impairing K+-evoked release but apparently interfering with the isoproterenol-induced effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg Hospital, Republic of South Africa.
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lamm
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Taljaard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000378:metabolism*; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D014316:Tritium; D000431:Ethanol; D007545:Isoproterenol; D003000:Clonidine; D004298:Dopamine