Topic: ethanol

AIMS: Nicotine, the main psychoactive compound of tobacco, binds on cationic nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) to increase the firing rate of dopaminergic (DA) neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), leading to higher release of DA in target structures and positive reinforcement. Besides rewarding properties, nicotine also promotes negative effects. Recently, we showed heterogeneity in nicotine-induced responses on VTA DA subpopulations targeting nucleus accumbens (NAc) and amygdala (AMg) nuclei. NAc-projecting DA neurons are activated by nicotine and their optogenetic activation is reinforcin

Administration of ethanol activates the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis, resulting in elevated corticosterone release in adulthood (see Barney et al., 2022; Willey et al., 2012). This response could depend on the subjects' degree of ethanol exposure (see Barney et al., 2022). On the other hand, sex differences have been described in the response of the HPA axis associated with alcohol consumption (Retson et al., 2015). Taking this background into account, in the present research we examine possible sex differences in ethanol-induced plasma cortisol levels in adult Wistar rats with differen

Ethanol (EtOH) exposure during pregnancy can induce a range of physical, learning, and behavioral disorders in the newborn clinically referred as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Unfortunately, FASD is poorly understood, and the underlying mechanisms are not fully known. Here, we studied the role of AMPA receptors (AMPARs) in in vitro and in vivo models of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). For the in vitro study, immature rat organotypic hippocampal slices were exposed to EtOH (150 mM) for 7 days followed by 24 hours of withdrawal. For the in vivo study, female C57/Bl6 mice were exposed