Acute effects of ethanol on kainate receptors in cultured hippocampal neurons.
BACKGROUND
Kainate receptors are a subclass of ionotropic glutamate receptors that regulate excitability and mediate synaptic transmission and plasticity in the hippocampus. The acute effects of ethanol on these receptors are not completely understood.


METHODS
The acute effects of ethanol on pharmacologically isolated kainate receptor-mediated currents were studied in cultured hippocampal neurons obtained from neonatal rats. Whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiological techniques were used for these studies. LY303070 (GYKI-53784), a potent AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid) receptor-selective noncompetitive antagonist, was used to isolate kainate currents.


RESULTS
Kainate receptor-mediated currents corresponded to 7% of the total non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (non-NMDA) currents in these neurons and were reduced to 24% of control values in the presence of 15 microM lanthanum. These kainate receptor-mediated currents were significantly inhibited by ethanol concentrations of 50 mM or more. Under our recording conditions, ethanol inhibited non-NMDA receptor- and NMDA receptor-mediated currents to a similar extent as kainate receptor-mediated currents. Western blot analysis indicated that glutamate receptor-5 and -6/7 subunits, and kainic acid-2 subunits are expressed in these cultured hippocampal neurons.


CONCLUSIONS
The present results suggest that kainate receptors are important targets for the actions of ethanol in the central nervous system.
Costa
E T
ET
Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque 87131-5223, USA.
Soto
E E
EE
Cardoso
R A
RA
Olivera
D S
DS
Valenzuela
C F
CF
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D007608:Kainic Acid; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors