title: Ethanol attenuates sensory stimulus-evoked responses in cerebellar granule cells via activation of GABA(A) receptors in vivo in mice.
abstract: Acute alcohol intoxication affects cerebellar motor regulation possibly by altering the transfer and integration of external information in cerebellar cortical neurons, resulting in a dysfunction of cerebellar motor regulation or a cerebellar atexia. However, the synaptic mechanisms of ethanol induced impairments of sensory information processing in cerebellar cortical neurons are not fully understand. In the present study, we used electrophysiological and pharmacological methods to study the effects of ethanol on the sensory stimulation-evoked responses in cerebellar granule cells (GCs) in vivo in urethane anesthetized mice. Air-puff stimulation of the ipsilateral whisker-pad evoked stimulus-on (P1) and stimulus-off responses (P2) in GCs of cerebellar Crus II. Cerebellar surface perfusion of ethanol did not alter the onset latency of the sensory stimulation-evoked responses, but reversible reduced the amplitude of P1 and P2. The ethanol-induced reduction of the GCs sensory responses was concentration-dependent. In the presence of ethanol, the mean half-width, area under curve, rise Tau and decay Tau of P1 were significantly decreased. Blockade of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA(A)) receptors activity induced an increase in amplitude of P1, and abolished the ethanol induced inhibition of the GCs sensory responses. These results indicate that ethanol inhibits the tactile evoked responses in cerebellar GCs through enhancement of GABA(A) receptors activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, Yanji City, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Cellular Function Research Center, Yanbian University, Yanji City, Jilin Province, China; Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji City, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, Yanji City, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Cellular Function Research Center, Yanbian University, Yanji City, Jilin Province, China; Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji City, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Cellular Function Research Center, Yanbian University, Yanji City, Jilin Province, China; Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji City, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.affiliation: Cellular Function Research Center, Yanbian University, Yanji City, Jilin Province, China; Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji City, Jilin Province, China. Electronic address: cpchu@ybu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Chun-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Cellular Function Research Center, Yanbian University, Yanji City, Jilin Province, China; Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji City, Jilin Province, China. Electronic address: dlqiu@ybu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: De-Lai
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects*; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D014110:Touch; D014738:Vibrissae / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Electrophysiological recording; Ethanol; GABA(A) receptor; Mouse cerebellar granule cell; Sensory stimulation