Vol. 288, Issue 1, 211-220, January 1999

Potentiation of Ethanol Effects in Cerebellum by Activation of Endogenous Noradrenergic Inputs¹

Yun Wang, Ronald K. Freund and Michael R. Palmer

Department of Pharmacology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China (Y.W.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado (R.K.F., M.R.P)

We previously found that beta adrenergic agonists such as norepinephrine and isoproterenol potentiate the depressant actions of ethanol (EtOH) on cerebellar Purkinje neurons. Furthermore, antagonism of the beta adrenergic effects of endogenously released catecholamines with timolol reduced EtOH-induced depressions of neuronal activity in that brain area. In the present study, we further investigated the hypothesis that activity of the endogenous noradrenergic innervation to the cerebellar cortex can potentiate this EtOH action. We investigated the interaction of synaptically released catecholamines on EtOH-induced depressions of cerebellar Purkinje neurons in three different experiments: (1) endogenous catecholamine release was facilitated by applying the catecholamine uptake inhibitor desmethylimipramine, (2) activity of the noradrenergic innervation of the cerebellar cortex from locus ceruleus was increased by causing acute withdrawal from 7 days of chronic morphine treatment with the opiate antagonist naloxone, and (3) the noradrenergic innervation of the cerebellum was activated directly by electrical stimulation of the locus ceruleus. We found that all three conditions potentiated EtOH-induced depressions in the cerebellum and that this potentiation of ethanol effects could be antagonized by the systemic administration of the beta adrenergic antagonist propranolol. Furthermore, morphine withdrawal also caused potentiation of the depressant effects of phencyclidine, which are known to be regulated by the endogenous catecholamine innervation in this brain area. Taken together with our previous data demonstrating a beta adrenergic facilitation of EtOH actions in this brain area, the present results suggest that the activity of endogenous noradrenergic synapses can regulate the depressant effects of EtOH on cerebellar Purkinje neurons.