Chronic Ethanol and Withdrawal Differentially Modulate Basolateral Amygdala Paracapsular and Local GABAergic Synapses

Chronic ethanol and withdrawal differentially modulate lateral/basolateral amygdala paracapsular and local GABAergic synapses.

Withdrawal-related anxiety is cited as a major contributor to relapse in recovering alcoholics. Changes in lateral/basolateral amygdala (BLA) neurotransmission could directly influence anxiety-like behaviors after chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal. We have shown that these treatments enhance BLA glutamatergic function and neurotransmission. However, the BLA GABAergic system tightly contro...

Glutamatergic Synapses in Rat Basolateral Amygdala Modulate Pre- and Postsynaptic Function at Chronic Ethanol and Withdrawal Differentially

-Adrenoceptor Activation is Required for Ethanol Enhancement of Lateral Paracapsular GABAergic Synapses in the Rat Basolateral Amygdala

Distinct mechanisms of ethanol potentiation of local and paracapsular GABAergic synapses in the rat basolateral amygdala.

Converging lines of behavioral and pharmacological evidence suggest that GABAergic synapses in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) may play an integral role in mediating the anxiolytic effects of ethanol (EtOH). Since anxiety is thought to play an important role in the development of, and relapse to, alcoholism, elucidating the mechanisms through which EtOH modulates GABAergic synaptic transmission ...

Chronic Ethanol and Withdrawal Differentially Modulate Pre- and Post-synaptic Function at Glutamatergic Synapses in Rat Basolateral Amygdala Abbreviated Title: Ethanol and withdrawal alter BLA glutamatergic transmission

Withdrawal anxiety is a significant factor contributing to continued alcohol abuse in alcoholics. This anxiety is long lasting, can manifest well after the overt physical symptoms of withdrawal, and is frequently associated with relapse in recovering alcoholics. The neurobiological mechanisms governing these withdrawal-associated increases in anxiety are currently unknown. The basolateral amygd...