The effects of ethanol on the electrophysiology of calcium channels

Abstract

Acute ethanol intoxication affects many systems in the body, especially the central nervous system. Because early experiments using axonal preparations required very high concentrations of ethanol to produce ionic current alterations, researchers turned their attention away from specific effects on electrogenesis and looked for effects at the synapse. The role of Ca2+ in the release of neurotransmitters was well known and was considered a possible site of action for ethanol. Indeed, several studies demonstrated that ethanol alters Ca2+ binding or transport in synaptosomes and neural tissue. The purpose of this chapter is to present electrophysiological evidence for the acute effects of ethanol on calcium channels. It is necessary first to define the relevant ethanol concentrations and to describe the characteristics of tissue preparations that may best help to determine the effects of ethanol. A discussion of these two points along with a brief synopsis of the role of Ca2+ in excitable tissues is presented. This is followed by a discussion of the effects of ethanol on Ca2+ and Ca2+-activated conductances in both nonmammalian and mammalian cells, and a model is presented in an attempt to unify the experimental evidence of the acute effects of ethanol.