Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sensitivity of NMDA Receptors to Acute and in Utero Ethanol Exposure

  • Chapter
Alcohol, Cell Membranes, and Signal Transduction in Brain

Abstract

Electrophysiological and biochemical studies have shown that N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are highly sensitive to inhibition by ethanol. However, some laboratories report that very low ethanol concentrations, in the range of 5 mM or less, inhibit NMDA receptor function, while others report that the confines of ethanol sensitivity may start at somewhat higher concentrations. The review that follows addresses the question of where the literature now stands on the issue of the sensitivity of the NMDA receptor to ethanol.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Bode-Greuel, K.M. and Singer, W., 1989, The development of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors in cat visual cortex, Brain Res. 46: 197.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brenneman, D.E., Forsythe, I.D., Nicol, T., and Nelson, P.G., N-Methyl-d-aspartate receptors influence neuronal survival in developing spinal cord cultures, Develop. Brain Res. 51: 63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, L.M., Leslie, S.W., Gonzales, R.A., 1991, The effects of chronic ethanol exposure on N-methyl-d-aspartate-stimulated overflow of [3H]catecholamines from rat brain, Brain Res. 547: 289.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Collingridge, G.L. and Bliss, T.V.P., 1987, NMDA receptors - their role in long-term potentiation, TINS, 10: 288.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cotman, C.W. and Iversen, L.L., 1987, Excitatory amino acids in the brain - focus on NMDA receptors, TINS 10: 263.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cotman, C.W., Monaghan, D.T., Ottersen, O.P., and Storm-Mathison, J., 1987, Anatomical organization of excitatory amino acid receptors and their pathways, TINS 10: 273.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dildy, J.E. and Leslie, S.W., 1989, Ethanol inhibits NMDA-induced increases in free intracellular Ca2+ in dissociated brain cells, Brain Res. 499: 383.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dildy-Mayfield, J.E. and Leslie, S.W., 1991, Mechanism of inhibition of N-methyl-d-aspartate-stimulated increases in free intracellular Ca2+ concentration by ethanol, J. Neurochem. 56: 1536.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dildy-Mayfield, J.E., Machu, T. and Leslie, S.W., 1991, Ethanol and voltage- or receptor-mediated increases in cytosolic Ca2+ in brain cells, Alcohol 9: 63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farr, K.L., Montano, C.Y., Paxton, L.L., and Savage, D.D., 1988, Prenatal ethanol exposure decreases hippocampal 3H-glutamate binding in 45-day-old rats, Alcohol 5: 125.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fink, K. and Gothert, M., 1990, Inhibition of N-methyl-d-aspartate-induced noradrenaline release by alcohols is related to their hydrophobicity, Eur. J. Pharmacol. 191: 225.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzales, R.A. and Woodward, J.J., 1990, Ethanol inhibits N-methyl-d-aspartate-stimulated [3H]norepinephrine release from rat cortical slices, J. Pharmacol Exp. Ther. 253: 1138.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzales, R.A. and Roper, L.C., 1992, Ethanol effects on NMDA-stimulated levels of extracellular neurotransmitters by in vivo microdialysis, Alcohol & Alcoholism 27 (suppl 1): 21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodlett, C.R., Kelly, S.J., and West, J.R., 1987, Early postnatal alcohol exposure that produces high blood alcohol levels impairs development of spatial navigation learning, Psychobiol. 15: 64.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, P.L., Rabe, C.S., Moses, F., and Tabakoff, B., 1989, N-Methyl-d-aspartate receptors and ethanol: Inhibition of calcium flux and cyclic GMP production, J. Neurochem. 52: 1937.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kalb, R.G. and Hockfield, S., 1990, Induction of a Neuronal Proteoglycan by the NMDA receptor in the developing spinal cord, Science 250: 294.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kleckner, N.W. and Dingledine, R., 1991, Regulation of hippocampal NMDA receptors by magnesium and glycine during development, Mol. Brain Res. 11: 151.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kleinschmidt, A., Bear, M.F. and Singer, W., 1987, Blockade of ‘NMDA’ receptors disrupts experience-dependent plasticity of kitten striate cortex, Science 238: 355.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leslie, S.W., Weaver, M.S., Morris, J.L., Lee, Y-.H. and Randall, P.K., 1992, Glutathione stimulation of NMPA receptor function: Effects of acute and chronic ethanol exposure, Alcohol and Alcoholism 27: 59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lima-Landman, M.T.R. and Albuquerque, E.X., 1989, Ethanol potentiates and blocks NMDA-activated single-channel currents in rat hippocampal pyramidal cells, FEBS Letters 247: 61.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lodge, D. and Johnson, K.M., 1991, Noncompetitive excitatory amino acid receptor antagonists, TIPS Special Report p. 13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovinger, D.M., White, G., and Weight, F.F., 1989, Ethanol inhibits NMDA-activated ion current in hippocampal neurons, Science 243: 1989.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lovinger, D.M., White, G., and Weight, F.F., 1990, Ethanol inhibition of neuronal glutamate receptor function, Ann Med. 22: 247.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lovinger, D.M., White, G., and Weight, F.F., 1990a, NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic excitation selectively inhibited by ethanol in hippocampal slice from adult rat, J. Neurosci. 10: 1372.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, D., Morrisett, R.A., Bian, X-P., Wilson, W.A., and Swartzwelder, H.S., 1991, Ethanol inhibition of NMD A mediated depolarizations is increased in the presence of Mg2+, Brain Res. 546: 227.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mattson, M.P., Dou, P., and Kater. S.B., 1988, Outgrowth-regulating actions of glutamate in isolated hippocampal pyramidal neurons, J. Neurosci. 8: 2087.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mattson, M.P., Lee, R.E., Adams, M.E., Guthrie, P.B., and Kater, S.B., 1988a, Interactions between entorhinal axons and target hippocampal neurons: A role for glutamate in the development of hippocampal circuitry, Neuron 1: 865.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Monyer, H., Sprengel, R., Schoepfer, R., Herb, A., Higuchi, M., Lomeli, H., Burnashev, N., Sakmann, B., and Seeburg, P.H., 1992, Heteromeric NMDA receptors: Molecular and functional distinctions of subtypes, Science 256: 1217.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morrisett, R.A., Martin, D., Wilson, W.A., Savage, D.D., and Swartzwelder, S., 1989, Prenatal exposure to ethanol decreases the sensitivity of the adult rat hippocampus to N-methyl-d-aspartate, Alcohol 6: 415.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morrisett, R.A., Mott, D.D., Lewis, D.V., Wilson, W.A., and Swartzwelder, H.S., 1990, Reduced sensitivity of the N-methyl-d-aspartate component of synaptic transmission to magnesium in hippocampal slices from immature rats, Devel. Brain Res. 56: 257.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oppenheim, R.W., 1991, Cell death during development of the nervous system, Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 14: 453.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pierce, D.R. and West, J.R., 1987, Differential deficits in regional brain growth induced by postnatal alcohol, Neurotoxicol. Terotol. 9: 129.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peoples, R.W. and Weight, F.F., 1992, Ethanol inhibition of N-methyl-d-aspartate ion current in rat hippocampal neurons is not competitive with glycine, Brain Res. 571: 342.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rabe, C.S. and Tabakoff, B., 1990, Glycine site-directed agonists reverse the actions of ethanol at the N-methyl-d-adpartate receptor, Mol. Pharmacol. 38: 753.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rauschecker, J.P. and Hahn, S., 1987, Ketamine-xylazine anaesthesia blocks consolidation of ocular dominance changes in kitten visual cortex, Nature 326: 183.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Savage, D.D., Queen, S.A., Sanchez, C.F., Paxton, L.L., Mahoney, J.C., Goodlett, C.R., and West, J.R., 1991a, Prenatal ethanol exposure during the last third of gestation in rat reduces hippocampal NMDA agonist binding site density in 45-day-old offspring, Alcohol 9: 37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savage, D.D., Montano, C.Y., Otero, M.A., and Paxton, L.L., 1991, Prenatal ethanol exposure decreases hippocampal NMDA-sensitive [3H]-glutamate binding site density in 45-day-old rats, Alcohol 8: 193.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, P.E., Criswell, H.E., Johnson, K.B., Hicks, R.E., and Breese, G.B., 1991, Ethanol inhibits NMDA-evoked electrophysiological activity in vivo, J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 257: 225.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair, J.G. and Lo, G.F., 1986, Ethanol blocks tetanic and calcium-induced long-term potentiation in the hippocampal slice, Gen. Pharmacol. 17: 231.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Siviy, S.M., Buchwald, N.A., and Levine, M.S., 1991, Enhanced responses to NMDA receptor activation in the developing cat caudate nucleus, Neurosci. Letters 132: 77.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sugihara, H., Moriyoshi, K., Ishii, T., Masu, M., and Nakanishi, S., 1992, Structures and properties of seven isoforms of the NMDA receptor generated by alternative splicing, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 185: 826.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Teichberg, V.I., Tal, N., Goldberg, O., and Luini, A., 1984, Barbiturates, alcohols and the CNS excitatory neurotransmission: Specific effects on the kainate and quisqualate receptors, Brain Res. 291: 285.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • White, G., Lovinger, D.M., and Weight, F.F., 1990, Ethanol inhibits NMDA-activated current but does not alter GABA-activated current in an isolated adult mammalian neuron, Brain Res. 507: 332.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, J.J. and Gonzales, R.A., 1990, Ethanol inhibition of N-methyl-d-aspartate-stimulated endogenous dopamine release from rat striatal slices: Reversal by glycine, J. Neurochem. 54: 712.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacology, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA

    Steven W. Leslie

  2. Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA

    Steven W. Leslie & Melanie S. Weaver

Authors
  1. Steven W. Leslie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Melanie S. Weaver
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Lund, Lund, Sweden

    Christer Alling

  2. The Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA

    Ivan Diamond

  3. The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA

    Steven W. Leslie

  4. University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA

    Grace Y. Sun

  5. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    W. Gibson Wood

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Leslie, S.W., Weaver, M.S. (1993). Sensitivity of NMDA Receptors to Acute and in Utero Ethanol Exposure. In: Alling, C., Diamond, I., Leslie, S.W., Sun, G.Y., Wood, W.G. (eds) Alcohol, Cell Membranes, and Signal Transduction in Brain. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2470-0_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2470-0_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6052-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-2470-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation