Figure 7.

Schematic representation of signal transduction route where by ligands at the cell surface interact with, thereby activate, membrane NMDAR and result in altered gene expression. This converts ATP to cAMP, the convergence of comprehensive signaling transduction in cytoplasm after ethanol influence is directed toward a reduction in CREB signaling and an increase in NF-κB signaling. Finally CREB is able to regulate the transcription of downstream target genes and leads to imbalance between procytokine-oxidative stress and pro-survival gene transcription. [The model was adapted and modified from Johnston (2003) and Cao et al. (2012)].