Frequency-dependent effects of ethanol on dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ethanol (EtOH) is known to have excitatory effects on dopamine (DA) release, with moderate-to-high doses (0.5 to 2.5 g/kg) of acute EtOH enhancing DA neuron firing rates in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and DA levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). EtOH has also been shown to reduce DA activity, with moderate doses (1 to 2 g/kg) attenuating electrically evoked release, and higher doses (5 g/kg) decreasing NAc DA levels, demonstrating a biphasic effect of EtOH on DA release. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate EtOH's inhibitory effects on NAc DA terminal release under low- and high-frequency stimulation conditions.

Methods

Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in NAc slices from C57BL/6J mice, we examined EtOH's (40 to 160 mM) effects on DA release und

SUBMITTER: Yorgason JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4085573 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature