HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 546/3/641    most recent 2002.032300v1 Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Akk, G. Articles by Steinbach, J. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Akk, G. Articles by Steinbach, J. H.

Low doses of ethanol and a neuroactive steroid positively interact to modulate rat GABA_A receptor function

Gustav Akk and Joe Henry Steinbach

Fast inhibitory responses in the central nervous system are mediated by the GABA_A receptor. The activation and function of the GABA_A receptor can be modulated by a variety of compounds including benzodiazepines, barbiturates and neuroactive steroids. Modulation of the GABA_A receptor function by ethanol has been observed in some but not all studies. We have studied the effect of ethanol at concentrations corresponding to light intoxication on the function of the recombinant GABA_A receptor containing 122 subunits. The experiments were performed both in the absence and presence of low, subthreshold concentrations of a neuroactive steroid. The results demonstrate that, in the presence of the steroid, 0.05 % (9 mM) ethanol potentiates the GABA_A receptor function by increasing the channel mean open duration. No effect was observed on the channel closed time durations. The data suggest that ethanol influences channel closing with no effect on the affinity of the receptor for GABA or the channel opening rate constant.