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. 2013 Nov 27;39(5):1081–1092. doi: 10.1038/npp.2013.308

Figure 4.

Figure 4

Nociceptin prevents the ethanol-induced decrease in evoked EPSPs in ethanol-dependent rats. (a) Time course of changes in evoked EPSP amplitude induced by nociceptin (500 nM), concurrent application of ethanol, and washout in seven central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) neurons of ethanol-dependent rats. (Inset) Representative CeA EPSP recordings during baseline, nociceptin, nociceptin+ethanol, and washout. (b) Nociceptin (500 nM) significantly decreases the mean amplitudes of evoked EPSPs compared with baseline over the middle three stimulus strength intensities tested (*significance for P<0.05). Subsequent application of 44 mM ethanol did not alter the EPSPs (n=7). (c, Inset) Representative recordings of paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) at 50 ms in a CeA neuron from an ethanol-dependent rat during baseline, nociceptin, nociceptin+ethanol, and washout. In ethanol-dependent rats, 500 nM nociceptin significantly increases the 50 and 100 ms PPF ratios of evoked CeA EPSPs (*significance at P<0.05). Ethanol in the presence of nociceptin does not alter these PPF ratios.