Alterations in Ca2+-dependent and Ca2+-independent release of catecholamines in preparations of rat brain produced by ethanol treatment in vivo

Intracellular Ca2+ regulates amphetamine-induced dopamine efflux and currents mediated by the human dopamine transporter

Although it is clear that amphetamine-induced dopamine (DA) release mediated by the dopamine transporter (DAT) is integral to the behavioral actions of this psychostimulant, the mechanism of this release is not clear. In this study, we explored the requirement for intracellular Ca(2+) in amphetamine-induced DA efflux and currents mediated by the human DAT. The patch-clamp technique in the whole-cell configuration was used on Na(+) and DA-preloaded human embryonic kidney 293 cells stably transfected with the human DAT (hDAT cells). Chelation of intracellular Ca(2+) by inclusion of 50 microM BAPTA in the whole-cell pipette reduced the voltage-dependent amphetamine-induced hDAT current, with the greatest effect seen at positive voltages. Likewise, 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA) reduced amphetamine-induced DA efflux as measured by amperometry. Furthermore, preincubation of the cells with 50 microM BAPTA acetoxy methyl ester (AM) or thapsigargin also blocked amphetamine-induced release of preloaded N-methyl-4-[(3)H]phenylpyridinium from superfused hDAT cells. BAPTA-AM also reduced DA release from striatal synaptosomes. Amphetamine also led to an increase in intracellular Ca(2+) that was blocked by prior treatment with 5 microM thapsigargin or 10 microM cocaine. These studies demonstrate that amphetamine-induced DAT-mediated currents and substrate efflux require internal Ca(2+) and that amphetamine can stimulate dopamine efflux by regulating cytoplasmic Ca(2+) levels through its interaction with DAT.

The effects of local application of ethanol in the n. accumbens on dopamine overflow and clearance

The actions of ethanol on extracellular dopamine levels in the n. accumbens were examined in both anesthetized and unanesthetized rats using either in vivo voltammetry or microdialysis. In the voltammetry studies, ethanol was microinjected directly into the accumbens. For the microdialysis studies, the ethanol was injected systemically. The voltammetry studies failed to find any direct effect of local ethanol on extracellular dopamine levels. However, exposure to high ethanol concentrations directly injected into the n. accumbens showed the rise rate and the return to baseline rate to a n. accumbens KCl-stimulated dopamine release. In the microdialysis studies, increased levels of extracellular dopamine in the n. accumbens were found in unanesthetized rats, similar to those reported in the literature. However, in the anesthetized rats, the extracellular dopamine levels were not increased, even with similar local ethanol levels measured in the dialysate. Taken together, the data suggest that the actions of ethanol to increase extracellular dopamine levels in the n. accumbens are most likely not an effect of ethanol at the level of the accumbens but rather an action which increases neural activity within the mesoaccumbens pathway, perhaps via actions at the ventral tegmental area.

Influence of ethanol on calcium, inositol phospholipids and intracellular signalling mechanisms

Studies have implicated Ca++ in the actions of ethanol at many biochemical levels. Calcium as a major intracellular messenger in the central nervous system is involved in many processes, including protein phosphorylation enzyme activation and secretion of hormones and neurotransmitters. The control of intracellular calcium, therefore, represents a major step by which neuronal cells regulate their activities. The present review focuses on three primary areas which influence intracellular calcium levels; voltage-dependent Ca++ channels, receptor-mediated inositol phospholipid hydrolysis, and Ca++/Mg++-ATPase, the high affinity membrane Ca++ pump. Current research suggests that a subtype of the voltage-dependent Ca++ channel, the dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca++ channel, is uniquely sensitive to acute and chronic ethanol treatment. Acute exposure inhibits, while chronic ethanol exposure increases 45Ca++-influx and [3H]dihydropyridine receptor binding sites. In addition, acute and chronic exposure to ethanol inhibits, then increases Ca++/Mg++-ATPase activity in neuronal membranes. Changes in Ca++ channel and Ca++/Mg++-ATPase activity following chronic ethanol may occur as an adaptation process to increase Ca++ availability for intracellular processes. Since receptor-dependent inositol phospholipid hydrolysis is enhanced after chronic ethanol treatment, subsequent activation of protein kinase-C may also be involved in the adaptation process and may indicate increased coupling for receptor-dependent changes in Ca++/Mg++-ATPase activity. The increased sensitivity of three Ca++-dependent processes suggest that adaptation to chronic ethanol exposure may involve coupling of one or more of these processes to receptor-mediated events.

Chronic ethanol administration inhibits calmodulin-dependent Ca++ uptake in synaptosomal membranes

Chronic ethanol administration inhibits ATP-dependent Ca++ uptake in a preparation of synaptic membranes prepared from mice following 1, 4 and 7 days of ethanol exposure in a liquid diet. Addition of calmodulin (2.5 micrograms) to membranes from mice receiving the control diet produced a slight stimulation of ATP dependent Ca++ uptake. Membranes from ETOH treated mice exhibited reduced capacity to take up Ca++ in ATP-dependent fashion. When calmodulin was added to membranes isolated from mice receiving ETOH on Days 1, 4 and 7 ATP-dependent Ca++ uptake was significantly stimulated (p less than 0.01) compared to (1) ETOH treated membranes in absence of calmodulin, and (2) control membranes. Behavioral tolerance as estimated by bar holding technique was found to be 25, 65 and 91 percent complete for Days 1, 4 and 7 respectively. These studies demonstrate that continued exposure of mice to ethanol via consumption of an ethanol containing liquid diet inhibits one of the mechanisms involving the cytosolic buffering of intracellular Ca++ in nerve terminals. This biochemical effect seen in parallel with the development of tolerance to ethanol impairment of bar holding suggests that increased cytosolic Ca++ may aid in central nervous system adaptation to ethanol.