Ethanol potentiates and blocks NMDA‐activated single‐channel currents in rat hippocampal pyramidal cells
- 10 April 1989
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in FEBS Letters
- Vol. 247 (1) , 61-67
- https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-5793(89)81241-4
Abstract
Single-channel currents activated by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) were characterized using the outside-out patch clamp technique in cultured hippocampal cells from the rat. Several conductance states were observed, and the main one of 47 pS was further analysed for channel lifetime and frequency. Open times decreased with hyperpolarization of the membrane. In view of recent evidence linking NMDA receptors to central nervous system processes such as learning and memory and ethanol (EtOH) tolerance, the effects of EtOH (0.01–1%, v/v, or ⋍ 1.74–174 mM) were studied in this preparation. Two effects of EtOH could be discerned: (i) at low concentrations (1.74–8.65 mM) an increase in the probability of opening (p open) of the NMDA-activated channel currents, without change in the mean channel open time, and (ii) at higher concentrations (86.5–174 mM) a decrease in p open with a concomitant decrease in the mean open time. It is suggested that EtOH, even at rather low concentrations, may affect important brain functions.Keywords
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