title: Ethanol inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate-activated current in mouse hippocampal neurones: whole-cell patch-clamp analysis.
abstract: 1. The action of ethanol on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-activated ion current was studied in mouse hippocampal neurones in culture using whole-cell patch-clamp recording. 2. Ethanol inhibited NMDA-activated current in a voltage-independent manner, and did not alter the reversal potential of NMDA-activated current. 3. Concentration-response analysis of NMDA- and glycine-activated current revealed that ethanol decreased the maximal response to both agonists without affecting their EC50 values. 4. The polyamine spermine (1 microM) increased amplitude of NMDA-activated current but did not alter the percentage inhibition of ethanol. 5. Compared to an extracellular pH of 7.0, pH 6.0 decreased and pH 8.0 increased the amplitude of NMDA-activated current, but these changes in pH did not significantly alter the percentage inhibition by ethanol. 6. The sulphydryl reducing agent dithiothreitol (2 mM) increased the amplitude of NMDA-activated current, but did not affect the percentage inhibition by ethanol. 7. Mg2+ (10, 100, 500 microM), (5, 20 microM) or ketamine (2, 10 microM) decreased the amplitude of NMDA-activated current, but did not affect the percentage inhibition by ethanol. 8. The observations are consistent with ethanol inhibiting the function of NMDA receptors by a non-competitive mechanism that does not involve several modulatory sites on the NMDA receptor-ionophore complex.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-8205, USA.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Peoples
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lovinger
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Weight
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007649:Ketamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D013096:Spermine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013096:Spermine; D000431:Ethanol; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D007649:Ketamine; D008274:Magnesium; D015032:Zinc