Figure 2.
Ethanol exposure impairs D1R-mediated facilitation of GABAA receptor-mediated spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) in the BLA. Exemplar compressed traces of sIPSC recordings obtained under baseline conditions and in the presence of 50 μM dopamine (DA) in slices from (A) Air- and (B) EtOH-exposed animals. Exemplar expanded scale traces of averaged sIPSCs are shown adjacent to compressed traces. (C) 50 μM DA significantly increased sIPSC frequency in Air animals (*p < 0.01 by one sample t-test compared to 0) and EtOH animals (*p < 0.01 by one sample t-test compared to 0). The DA-induced increase in sIPSC frequency was significantly attenuated in EtOH compared to Air-exposed animals (#p < 0.05 by unpaired t-test). (D) sIPSC amplitude was significantly increased by 50 μM DA in Air (*p < 0.05 by one sample t-test compared to 0), but not EtOH-exposed animals (p > 0.05 by one sample t-test compared to 0). The DA-induced potentiation of sIPSC amplitude was significantly blunted in the EtOH compared to Air-exposed animals (#p < 0.05 by Mann–Whitney test). N = 8 animals from 8 Air and 7 EtOH litters.