Nature Neuroscience
5, 721 - 722 (2002)
Published online: 15 July 2002; | doi:10.1038/nn888
Hormonally regulated  4 2 GABAA receptors are a target for alcoholInger Sundstrom-Poromaa1, 2, Deborah H. Smith3, Qi Hua Gong1, Thomas N. Sabado1, Xinshe Li4, Adam Light5, Martin Wiedmann3, Keith Williams1
& Sheryl S. Smith11
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, New York 11203, USA
2
Current Address: Department of Clinical Science, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Umea, 901 85 Umea, Sweden
3
Cellular Biochemistry and Biophysics Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 435 E. 67th St., New York, New York 10021, USA
4
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, MCP Hahnemann University, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, USA
5
The University of Chicago, Department of Neurology, 5841 S. Maryland MC2030, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
Correspondence should be addressed to Sheryl S. Smith sheryl.smith@downstate.eduHere we report that low concentrations of alcohol (1−3 mM) increased Cl- currents gated by a recombinant GABAA receptor,  4 2 , by 40−50% in Xenopus laevis oocytes. We also found greater hippocampal expression of receptors containing 4 and subunits, using a rat model1 of premenstrual2 syndrome (PMS) in which 1−3 mM alcohol preferentially enhanced GABA-gated currents, and low doses of alcohol attenuated anxiety and behavioral reactivity. The alcohol sensitivity of -containing receptors may underlie the reinforcing effects of alcohol during PMS, when eye saccade responses to low doses of alcohol are increased2.
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4 subunit suppression prevents withdrawal properties of an endogenous steroid
