Skip to main content
Advertisement

Main menu

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current Issue
    • Fast Forward
    • Latest Articles
    • Archive
  • Information
    • Instructions to Authors
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • FAQs
    • For Subscribers
    • Terms & Conditions of Use
    • Permissions
  • Editorial Board
  • Alerts
    • Alerts
    • RSS Feeds
  • Virtual Issues
  • Feedback
  • Other Publications
    • Drug Metabolism and Disposition
    • Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
    • Molecular Pharmacology
    • Pharmacological Reviews
    • Pharmacology Research & Perspectives
    • ASPET

User menu

  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
  • Other Publications
    • Drug Metabolism and Disposition
    • Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
    • Molecular Pharmacology
    • Pharmacological Reviews
    • Pharmacology Research & Perspectives
    • ASPET
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current Issue
    • Fast Forward
    • Latest Articles
    • Archive
  • Information
    • Instructions to Authors
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • FAQs
    • For Subscribers
    • Terms & Conditions of Use
    • Permissions
  • Editorial Board
  • Alerts
    • Alerts
    • RSS Feeds
  • Virtual Issues
  • Feedback
  • Visit jpet on Facebook
  • Follow jpet on Twitter
  • Follow jpet on LinkedIn
Abstract

Sensitization of gamma-aminobutyric acidA receptors to neuroactive steroids in rats during ethanol withdrawal.

L L Devaud, R H Purdy, D A Finn and A L Morrow
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics August 1996, 278 (2) 510-517;
L L Devaud
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
R H Purdy
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
D A Finn
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
A L Morrow
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • eLetters
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

The anxiolytic and anticonvulsant effects of benzodiazepines, barbiturates, ethanol and neuroactive steroids are mediated by selective interactions with gamma-aminobutyric acidA (GABA(A)) receptors. Chronic ethanol exposure decreases the sensitivity of GABA(A) receptors to benzodiazepines, barbiturates and ethanol. Ethanol withdrawing rats are cross-tolerant to the anticonvulsant effects of benzodiazepines as shown by a 16% decrease in the anticonvulsant efficacy of diazepam compared to controls. In contrast, ethanol withdrawing rats are sensitized to the anticonvulsant effects of the neuroactive steroid 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one (3 alpha,5 alpha-THP), exhibiting a 46% increase in the anticonvulsant effect against bicuculline-induced seizures compared to control rats. This effect may involve a change in the sensitivity of GABA(A) receptors to 3 alpha,5 alpha-THP because potentiation of GABA(A) receptor mediated chloride uptake into cerebral cortical synaptoneurosomes is enhanced by 3 alpha,5 alpha-THP up to 50% in ethanol withdrawing rats compared to controls. 3 alpha,21-dihydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one (THDOC) potentiation of GABA(A) receptor-mediated chloride uptake is also enhanced during ethanol withdrawal. Moreover, the plasma levels of 3 alpha,5 alpha-THP and progesterone did not differ in ethanol withdrawing rats compared to controls. These alterations in neurosteroid sensitivity were also accompanied by selective alterations in cortical GABA(A) receptor subunit mRNA levels. Levels for the alpha 1 and alpha 4 subunit showed only slight alteration during withdrawal whereas we had previously observed a significant decrease in alpha 1 and a significant increase in alpha 4 mRNA levels in ethanol dependent (not withdrawing) animals. beta 2, beta and gamma 1 mRNA levels significantly increased during ethanol withdrawal. Taken together, these results suggest that ethanol withdrawal produces alterations in GABA(A) receptors that sensitize rats to the pharmacological effects of neuroactive steroids. Because ethanol-dependent or withdrawing rats are tolerant to the intoxicating, anxiolytic and anticonvulsant effects of ethanol and cross-tolerant to many effects of benzodiazepines and barbiturates, sensitization to the effects of neuroactive steroids could have significant therapeutic potential.

JPET articles become freely available 12 months after publication, and remain freely available for 5 years. 

Non-open access articles that fall outside this five year window are available only to institutional subscribers and current ASPET members, or through the article purchase feature at the bottom of the page. 

 

  • Click here for information on institutional subscriptions.
  • Click here for information on individual ASPET membership.

 

Log in using your username and password

Forgot your user name or password?

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Vol. 278, Issue 2
1 Aug 1996
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Index by author
  • Back Matter (PDF)
  • Editorial Board (PDF)
  • Front Matter (PDF)
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for sharing this Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics article.

NOTE: We request your email address only to inform the recipient that it was you who recommended this article, and that it is not junk mail. We do not retain these email addresses.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Sensitization of gamma-aminobutyric acidA receptors to neuroactive steroids in rats during ethanol withdrawal.
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
(Your Name) thought you would be interested in this article in Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Abstract

Sensitization of gamma-aminobutyric acidA receptors to neuroactive steroids in rats during ethanol withdrawal.

L L Devaud, R H Purdy, D A Finn and A L Morrow
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics August 1, 1996, 278 (2) 510-517;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Abstract

Sensitization of gamma-aminobutyric acidA receptors to neuroactive steroids in rats during ethanol withdrawal.

L L Devaud, R H Purdy, D A Finn and A L Morrow
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics August 1, 1996, 278 (2) 510-517;
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • eLetters
  • PDF

Related Articles

Cited By...

Similar Articles

  • Home
  • Alerts
Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   RSS

Navigate

  • Current Issue
  • Fast Forward by date
  • Fast Forward by section
  • Latest Articles
  • Archive
  • Search for Articles
  • Feedback
  • ASPET

More Information

  • About JPET
  • Editorial Board
  • Instructions to Authors
  • Submit a Manuscript
  • Customized Alerts
  • RSS Feeds
  • Subscriptions
  • Permissions
  • Terms & Conditions of Use

ASPET's Other Journals

  • Drug Metabolism and Disposition
  • Molecular Pharmacology
  • Pharmacological Reviews
  • Pharmacology Research & Perspectives
ISSN 1521-0103 (Online)

Copyright © 2021 by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics