Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
Effects of chronic ethanol exposure on the gaba-benzodiazepine receptor complex in rat brain
M Hillmann1, P A Wilce, B C Shanley
1Alcohol Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4067, Australia.
Abstract:
Chronic treatment of male Wistar rats with ethanol by inhalation did not affect the binding of [(3)H]flunitrazepam, [(3)H]GABA or [(3)H]muscimol to extensively washed synaptic membranes. Neither the affinity (K(d)) nor the number of binding sites (Bmax) for these ligands was changed. However, GABA enhancement of [(3)H]flunitrazepam binding was significantly decreased by approx. 40% in ethanol-treated animals (172% compared to 215%). Acute treatment with ethanol did not produce changes in the binding of [(3)H]flunitrazepam or [(3)H]muscimol. These findings suggest that chronic ethanol treatment leads to uncoupling of the various receptor sites on the GABA-benzodiazepine receptor ionophore-complex in the brain.
More Related Videos
15:27Construction of Vapor Chambers Used to Expose Mice to Alcohol During the Equivalent of all Three Trimesters of Human Development
Published on: July 13, 2014
19:57The Use of Trace Eyeblink Classical Conditioning to Assess Hippocampal Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Published on: August 5, 2017
Related Concept Videos
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators
The key GABA pathway potentiators used in epilepsy management are as follows.
Benzodiazepines are a well-known class of drugs used for their...
Hepatic Encephalopathy