title: Chronic exposure to alcohol alters network activity and morphology of cultured hippocampal neurons.
abstract: The effects of chronic exposure to moderate concentrations of ethanol were studied in cultured hippocampal neurons. Network activity, assessed by imaging of [Ca(2+)]i variations, was markedly suppressed following 5 days of exposure to 0.25-1% ethanol. The reduced activity was sustained following extensive washout of ethanol, but the activity recovered by blockade of inhibition with bicuculline. This reduction of network activity was associated with a reduction in rates of mEPSCs, but not in a change in inhibitory synaptic activity. Chronic exposure to ethanol caused a significant reduction in the density of mature dendritic spines, without an effect on dendritic length or arborization. These results indicate that chronic exposure to ethanol causes a reduction in excitatory network drive in hippocampal neurons adding another dimension to the chronic effects of alcohol abuse.
authors: Department of Neurobiology, The Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel. Electronic address: eduard.korkotian@weizmann.ac.il.
authors: Eduard
authors: E
authors: Korkotian
authors: Neurobiological Research Center, Perm State Pharmaceutical Academy, Perm, Russia.
authors: Alena
authors: A
authors: Botalova
authors: Department of Microbiology, Perm State Pharmaceutical Academy, Perm, Russia.
authors: Tatiana
authors: T
authors: Odegova
authors: Department of Neurobiology, The Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel.
authors: Menahem
authors: M
authors: Segal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D055369:Miniature Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Calcium; Dendritic spines; Ethanol; Hippocampus culture; Synapses