Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Chronic ethanol-induced decreases in the response of dentate granule cells to perforant path input in the rat

  • Published:
Experimental Brain Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The neurotoxic effects of chronic ethanol consumption were investigated in the rat hippocampus by electrophysiological analyses of synaptic function of entorhinal afferents to stratum moleculare of the dentate gyrus. Rats were maintained on ethanol- or sucrose-containing liquid diets for a period of 20 weeks and were withdrawn from the special diets for a period of 8 weeks prior to acute electrophysiological studies. Synaptic response strength (Input/Output (I/O) functions) and synaptic potentation (pairedpulse, frequency and long-term) were evaluated in each rat.

Chronic ethanol treatment failed to influence the response strength or potentiation of basic synaptic responses (EPSP). Rather, the ethanol effects were confined to the population spike (PS). Chronic ethanol treatment produced reductions in PS responses 1) in the asymptotic portions of the I/O curves, 2) in paired-pulse potentiation, 3) in response to 1 and 5 Hz low-frequency stimulation and 4) during the development of long-term potentiation. Expressing PS amplitude as a function of EPSP amplitude emphasized the independence of these actions from those of the synaptic potentials. Definitive evidence concerning the cellular alterations underlying these effects of chronic ethanol treatment are presently lacking. However, available evidence supports the hypothesis that the ethanol-induced decreases in PS responses result from a reduction in the “excitability” of granule cells in the dentate gyrus.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abraham WC, Hunter BE (1982) An electrophysiological analysis of chronic ethanol neurotoxicity in the Dentate Gyrus: Distribution of Entorhinal afferents. Exp Brain Res 47: 61–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Abraham WC, Hunter BE, Zornetzer SF, Walker DW (1981) Augmentation of short-term plasticity in CA1 of rat hippocampus after chronic ethanol treatment. Brain Res 222: 271–287

    Google Scholar 

  • Abraham WC, Manis PB, Hunter BE, Zornetzer SF, Walker DW (1982) Electrophysiological analysis of synaptic distribution in CA1 of rat hippocampus after chronic ethanol exposure. Brain Res 237: 91–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Assaf SY, Miller JJ (1978) Neuronal transmission in the dentate gyrus: Role of inhibitory mechanisms. Brain Res 151: 587–592

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes CA (1979) Memory deficits associated with senescence: a neurophysiological and behavioral study in the rat. J Comp Physiol Psychol 93: 74–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes C, McNaughton BL (1980) Physiological compensation for loss of afferent synapses in rat hippocampal pyramidal cells during senescence. J Physiol (Lond) 309: 473–486

    Google Scholar 

  • Begleiter H, DeNoble V, Porjesz B (1980) Protracted brain dysfunction after alcohol withdrawal in monkey. Adv Exp Med Biol 126: 237–250

    Google Scholar 

  • Bliss TVP, Goddard GV, Riives M (1983) Reduction of long-term potentiation in the dentate gyms of the rat following selective depletion of monoamines. J Physiol (Lond) 234: 475–491

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlen PL, Corrigall WA (1980) Ethanol tolerance measured electrophysiologically in hippocampal slices and not in neuromuscular junctions from chronically ethanol-fed rats. Neurosci Lett 17: 95–100

    Google Scholar 

  • Douglas RM (1977) Long-lasting synaptic potentiation in the rat dentate gyrus following brief high frequency stimulation. Brain Res 126: 361–365

    Google Scholar 

  • Durand D, Carlen PL (1982) Impairment of calcium-mediated inhibition with chronic ethanol treatment measured intracellularly. Neurosci Soc Abst. 8: 596

    Google Scholar 

  • Durand D, Cohen PL, McMullen P (1980) Impairment of long-term potentiation following chronic ethanol consumption in rats. Neurosci Abstr 6: 89

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris EW, Lasher SS, Steward O (1979) Analysis of the habituation-like changes in transmission in the temporodentate pathway of the rat. Brain Res 162: 21–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Hjorth-Simonsen A (1973) Some intrinsic connections of the hippocampus in the rat: An experimental analysis. J Comp Neurol 147: 145–162

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalant H, Leblanc E, Gibbins R (1971) Tolerance to, and dependence on, ethanol. In: Israel Y, Marondes J (eds) Biological basis of alcoholism. Wiley Interscience, New York, pp 235–261

    Google Scholar 

  • Lomo T (1971) Patterns of activation in a monosynaptic cortical pathway: The perforant path input to the dentate area of the hippocampal formation. Exp Brain Res 12: 17–45

    Google Scholar 

  • McNaughton BL (1980) Evidence for two physiologically distinct perforant pathways to the Fascia Dentata. Brain Res 199: 1–19

    Google Scholar 

  • McNaughton BL, Barnes CA (1977) Physiological identification and analysis of dentate gyrus cell response to stimulation of the medial and lateral perforant pathways in the rat. J Comp Neurol 175: 439–454

    Google Scholar 

  • Riley JM, Walker DW (1978) Morphological alterations in hippocampus after long-term alcohol consumption in mice. Science 102: 646–648

    Google Scholar 

  • Steward O, White WF, Cotman CL (1977) Potentiation of the excitatory synaptic action of commissural, associational and entorhinal afferents in dentate granule cells. Brain Res 134: 551–560

    Google Scholar 

  • Steward O, Scoville SA (1976) Cells of origin of entorhinal cortical afferents to the hippocampus and fascia dentata of the rat. J Comp Neurol 169: 347–370

    Google Scholar 

  • Teyler TJ, Alger BE (1976) Monosynaptic habituation in the vertebrate forebrain: The dentate gyrus examined in vitro. Brain Res 115: 413–426

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson RF, Spencer WA (1966) Habituation: A model phenomenon for the study of neuronal substrates of behavior. Psychol Rev 173: 16–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Tielen AM, Lopes da Silva FH, Mollevanger WJ, Jonge FH de (1981) Differential effects of enkephalin within the hippocampal areas. Exp Brain Res 44: 343–346

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner RW, Miller JJ (1982) Effects of extracellular calcium on low frequency induced potentiation and habituation in the in vitro hippocampal slice preparations. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 60: 266–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker DW, Barnes DE, Zornetzer SF, Hunter BE, Kubanis P (1980) Neuronal loss in hippocampus produced by prolonged ethanol consumption in rats. Science 109: 711–713

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker DW, Freund G (1971) Impairment of shuttle box avoidance learning following prolonged alcohol consumption of rats. Physiol Behav 7: 773–778

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. W. C. Abraham

    Present address: Dept. of Psychology, University of Otago, Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, College of Medicine, and Veterans Administration, Medical Center, 32610, Gainesville, FL, USA

    W. C. Abraham & B. E. Hunter Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 32610, Gainesville, FL, USA

    C. J. Rogers

Authors
  1. W. C. Abraham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. J. Rogers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. E. Hunter Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Supported by funds from the Medical Research Service of the Veterans Administration, NIAAA Grant AA-00200 to Don W. Walker, NIAAA pre-doctoral fellowship AA-05153 to WCA, NIMH pre-doctoral fellowship MH15737 to CJR and NIAAA Research Scientist Development Award AA00065 to BEH. Preparation of this manuscript was supported by the University of Florida Alcohol Research Center (1-P50AA05793-01)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Abraham, W.C., Rogers, C.J. & Hunter, B.E. Chronic ethanol-induced decreases in the response of dentate granule cells to perforant path input in the rat. Exp Brain Res 54, 406–414 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00235465

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00235465

Key words

Search

Navigation