Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Ethanol, stroke, brain damage, and excitotoxicity

F T Crews¹, J C Steck, L J Chandler

¹Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599-7178, USA.

Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior

|May 20, 1998

Summary

Ethanol affects brain damage from NMDA receptor overactivation. Acutely, it inhibits damage, but chronic exposure increases sensitivity, potentially worsening stroke-related brain injury.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Adolescent ethanol exposure reprograms HMGB1 responsivity to adult ethanol challenge in males.

Physiology & behavior·2026

Same author

[Two cases of herpes simplex keratitis after trans-epithelial photorefractive keratectomy].

[Zhonghua yan ke za zhi] Chinese journal of ophthalmology·2022

Same author

[Efficacy of mitomycin C 0.02% for prevention of haze after transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy for mild and moderate myopia].

[Zhonghua yan ke za zhi] Chinese journal of ophthalmology·2022

Same author

[Research progress of mesenchymal stem cells on nasal mucosa regeneration after the damaged and lost].

Zhonghua er bi yan hou tou jing wai ke za zhi = Chinese journal of otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery·2020

Same author

Habitual dietary fibre and prebiotic intake is inadequate in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: findings from a multicentre cross-sectional study.

Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association·2020

Same author

[Research progress on the correlation between nasal sinus microbiome and chronic rhinosinusitis].

Zhonghua er bi yan hou tou jing wai ke za zhi = Chinese journal of otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery·2020

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Neuropharmacology
Toxicology

Background:

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is implicated in brain damage from stroke, trauma, and alcohol.
NMDA receptor activation leads to nitric oxide formation and excitotoxicity, contributing to neuronal injury.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the acute and chronic effects of ethanol on NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity and nitric oxide formation.
To examine ethanol's interaction with NMDA receptor pathways in models of global cerebral ischemia.

Main Methods:

Primary rat cortical cultures were used to assess NMDA-induced nitric oxide formation and excitotoxicity with and without ethanol exposure.
Transient global ischemia models were employed to study neuronal death in the hippocampus.
NMDA receptor ligand binding was analyzed post-ischemia.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

Ethanol inhibited NMDA-induced nitric oxide formation and excitotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner acutely.
Chronic ethanol treatment (100 mM for 4 days) increased NMDA-stimulated nitric oxide formation and excitotoxicity, suggesting supersensitivity.
Acute ethanol protected against ischemic brain damage, but this effect was linked to hypothermia and not observed under temperature control.

Conclusions:

Ethanol exhibits dual effects on NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity: acute inhibition and chronic potentiation.
Chronic ethanol consumption may exacerbate stroke-induced brain damage by increasing NMDA receptor excitotoxicity.
The role of NMDA receptors in ischemic brain damage is complex and influenced by factors like ethanol exposure and body temperature.