title: Ethanol effects on N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.
abstract: The extended amygdala is a series of interconnected, embryologically similar series of nuclei in the brain that are thought to play key roles in aspects of alcohol dependence, specifically in stress-induced increases in alcohol-seeking behaviors. Plasticity of excitatory transmission in these and other brain regions is currently an intense area of scrutiny as a mechanism underlying aspects of addiction. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDARs) play a critical role in plasticity at excitatory synapses and have been identified as major molecular targets of ethanol. Thus, this article will explore alcohol and NMDAR interactions first at a general level and then focusing within the extended amygdala, in particular on the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST).
authors: Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-0615, USA.
authors: Tiffany A
authors: TA
authors: Wills
authors: Danny G
authors: DG
authors: Winder
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D051381:Rats; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000187:drug effects*; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D000431:Ethanol