Moderate ethanol drinking is sufficient to alter Ventral Tegmental Area dopamine neurons activity via functional and structural remodeling of GABAergic transmission.

ABSTRACT: Earlier studies have shown a major involvement of Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons in mediating the rewarding effects of ethanol (EtOH). Much less is known on the role of this system in mediating the transition from moderate to excessive drinking and abuse. Here we sought to explore the hypothesis that early stage drinking in rodents, resembling recreational EtOH use in humans, is sufficient to dysregulate VTA DA transmission thus increasing the propensity to use over time. To this purpose, midbrain slice recordings in mice previously exposed to an escalating (3, 6 and 12%) 18-day voluntary EtOH drinking paradigm was used. By recording from DA and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) VTA neurons in midbrain slices, we found that moderate EtOH drinking leads to a significant suppres

SUBMITTER: Ilari A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9301096 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature