Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 164, Issues 1–2, 24 December 1993, Pages 9-12
Neuroscience Letters

Differential effects of ethanol on the firing rates of Golgi-like neurons and Purkinje neurons in cerebellar slices in vitro

https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(93)90844-BGet rights and content

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated that ethanol (EtOH) inhibits the firing rate of Purkinje neurons both in vitro and in vivo. However, little is known about the response of cerebellar interneurons to EtOH. In this report, we describe the effects of locally applied EtOH on the firing of one type of cerebellar interneuron, tentatively identified as Golgi neurons, and on Purkinje cells in brain slices in vitro. The Golgi neurons were excited by EtOH, whereas EtOH depressed the firing rate of Purkinje neurons. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of responses of cerebellar Golgi neurons to local applications of EtOH.

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  • Ethanol enhances both action potential-dependent and action potential-independent GABAergic transmission onto cerebellar Purkinje cells

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    Therefore, the discrepancy between our results and theirs could have arisen from differences between sample preparations and/or between rodent species. EtOH-induced enhancement of the tonic inhibition of granule cells has been considered to be one of the possible reasons for the alcohol-induced impairment of motor coordination (Freund et al., 1993; Carta et al., 2004; Hanchar et al., 2005). Carta et al. (2004) reported that 50 mM EtOH only increases the firing rate of Golgi cells in the granular layer, whereas 100 mM EtOH can additionally enhance the action potential-independent GABAergic transmission between Golgi cells and granule cells in the rat cerebellum.

  • Modulation of GABA<inf>A</inf> receptors in cerebellar granule neurons by ethanol: a review of genetic and electrophysiological studies

    2007, Alcohol
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    Single unit recordings showed that intraperitoneal injection of EtOH increases the discharge rate of rat inferior olivary nucleus neurons (Rogers et al., 1986). Acute EtOH exposure was shown to increase firing of inhibitory Golgi interneurons in cerebellar slices (Freund et al., 1993b). The authors of this study stated that this effect would be predicted to increase Golgi neuron input to CGNs and ultimately influence excitatory input to Purkinje neurons.

  • Effect of chronic ethanol ingestion on Purkinje and Golgi cell firing in vivo and on motor coordination in mice

    2005, Brain Research
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    Moreover, their firing also reflects the excitation of the cerebellar cortex by mossy fibers, since mossy fibers excite granule cells that in turn excite Golgi cells through the same type of AMPA receptors as Purkinje cells. However, only one study has to our knowledge been conducted on the effects of ethanol on Golgi cells, demonstrating the excitatory effect of ethanol on these neurons in slice preparation [20]. To better understand the effects of chronic ethanol on cerebellar cortex function, we studied motor coordination and spontaneous Purkinje and Golgi cell firing in non-anesthetized mice after a 3-month period of ethanol consumption.

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