title: Acute tolerance to ethanol inhibition of NMDA-mediated EPSPs in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampus.
abstract: The time course of ethanol-induced inhibition of NMDA-mediated synaptic activity was studied in brain slices using extracellular electrophysiological techniques in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Bath application of 60 mM ethanol inhibited NMDA-mediated field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) by at least 45% in 7/11 of the slices tested, with the remaining 4 slices inhibited by 8.7-35%. Most slices inhibited by at least 45% showed a significant reduction in ethanol inhibition over a 15 min ethanol exposure period, suggesting the development of acute tolerance. In a second set of experiments, tolerance to ethanol-induced inhibition of NMDA-mediated EPSPs that developed over time during the first ethanol exposure persisted during a second ethanol exposure. In contrast to ethanol, inhibition of EPSPs by the NMDA antagonist DL-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (APV) remained stable during a comparable application of the drug. These results suggest that acute tolerance can develop to ethanol inhibition of NMDA mediated synaptic activity in the hippocampus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, Health Sciences Center, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-1114.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Grover
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Frye
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Griffith
mesh_terms: D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate