Effect of chronic administration of ethanol on the regulation of the δ-subunit of GABA A receptors in the rat brain

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 1174; pp. 47 - 52
• Main Authors: Marutha Ravindran, C.R., Mehta, Ashok K., Ticku, Maharaj K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 12-10-2007
• Subjects: Alcoholism - metabolism; Animals; Central Nervous System Depressants - pharmacology; Cerebellum - metabolism; Chronic ethanol; Ethanol - pharmacology; GABA A receptors; GABA Agonists - metabolism; GABA Agonists - pharmacology; Immunoprecipitation; Male; Muscimol - metabolism; Muscimol - pharmacology; Polypeptide levels; Radioligand binding; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, GABA-A - metabolism; Tritium; δ-Subunit; CC; Polypeptide levels; CE; δ-Subunit; Immunoprecipitation; GABA A receptors; Radioligand binding; HC; Chronic ethanol; CIE; CB
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2007.07.077

In the present study, we investigated the effect of chronic ethanol (CE) administration on the polypeptide levels of the δ-subunit of GABA
A receptors and [
3H]muscimol binding to the immunoprecipitated δ-subunit-containing GABA
A receptor assemblies in the rat brain. CE administration resulted a down-regulation of polypeptide levels of the δ-subunit of GABA
A receptors in the rat cerebellum and hippocampus, whereas there were no changes in the δ-subunit polypeptide levels in the rat cerebral cortex. Further, CE administration caused a down-regulation of native δ-subunit-containing GABA
A receptor assemblies in the rat cerebellum as determined by [
3H]muscimol binding to the immunoprecipitated receptor assemblies. These results indicate that the δ-subunit-containing GABA
A receptors may play a role in chronic ethanol-induced tolerance and dependence.