Abstract

Ca(++)-dependent binding of calmodulin (CaM) to brain synaptic plasma membranes is known to be inhibited by ethanol and stimulated by glucocorticoids. These opposite neurochemical actions between ethanol and the steroids in vitro are consistent with glucocorticoid antagonism of ethanol-induced sedation reported to occur in vivo. The present study was undertaken to characterize the interactions of corticosterone with ethanol effects on [125I]CaM binding in synaptic plasma membranes. From the shift of concentration-response curves when corticosterone and ethanol were present in combination, the interaction between steroid stimulation and ethanol inhibition occurred in an additive relationship over the range of their effective concentrations. From Scatchard analyses, ethanol-induced decrease in membrane affinity for [125I]CaM was antagonized by steroid-induced increase in the membrane affinity, indicating that the convergent event in their interaction was the alteration of membrane affinity for CaM. Glucocorticoid antagonism of ethanol inhibition of [125I]CaM binding exhibited a high degree of steroid specificity; steroids with glucocorticoid activity including cortisol, dexamethasone and triamcinolone were effective, whereas gonadal steroids and excitatory neuroactive steroid metabolites were ineffective. The demonstration that glucocorticoids antagonized the inhibition of CaM binding by ethanol provides support for the hypothesis that these steroids are among the endogenous factors that modulate neuronal sensitivity to ethanol.