NEURAL BASIS OF THE BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

酒精中毒的神经基础尚不清楚。最近的研究 专注于酒精与氨基酸神经传递的相互作用， 重要的行动场所。虽然GABA调节的氯化物的增加 渠道受到了最多的研究关注，有新的数据显示， 表明酒精减弱了N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸的活化， 兴奋性谷氨酸受体（NMDA）亚型。的目的 拟议的研究是调查的假设，调节NMDA- 受体介导的兴奋在急性行为效应中发挥作用 乙醇。乙醇对大鼠的区别性刺激作用将有助于 作为急性酒精中毒的模型它的效果将被比较， 与其他竞争性和非竞争性NMDA相比， 对手。此外，乙醇拮抗这些作用的能力 还将测定体内NMDA的量。在重要方面， 拟议的研究是将最新的生物化学 和电生理学的发展， NMDA的研究，特别是那些与乙醇的行动。目标 是对令人兴奋的新发展的相关性进行评估， 酒精对动物行为的影响 与酒精使用和滥用相关的酒精特性模型 被人类更多地了解酒精行为的神经基础 影响将开辟新的机会，研究个体差异， 基因对酒精的脆弱性，可能发展生物学 酒精中毒的标志物，并开发新的酒精药物疗法 施虐者

The neural basis for alcohol intoxication is unknown. Recent research has focused on alcohol's interaction with amino acid neurotransmission as an important site of action. Although enhancement of GABA-regulated chloride channels has received the most research attention, there is new data showing that alcohol attenuates the activation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of excitatory glutamate receptor. The purpose of the proposed research is to investigate the hypothesis that modulation of NMDA- receptor mediated excitation plays a role in the acute behavioral effects of ethanol. Ethanol's discriminative stimulus effects in rats will serve as a model of acute alcohol intoxication. It's effects will be compared and contrasted to those of other competitive and noncompetitive NMDA antagonists. In addition, the ability of ethanol to antagonize the effects of NMDA in vivo will also be determined. In important aspect of the proposed research is to incorporate into the project the latest biochemical and electrophysiological developments in the rapidly-expanding field of NMDA research, especially those related to the actions of ethanol. The goal is to provide an assessment of the relevance of exciting new developments in the neurosciences to the behavioral effects of alcohol using animal models for the properties of alcohol that are relevant to its use and abuse by humans. Greater knowledge of the neural basis for alcohol's behavioral effects will open up new opportunities to study individual differences in genetic vulnerability to alcoholisin, to possibly develop biological markers for alcoholism, and to develop novel pharmacotherapies for alcohol abusers.