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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2016 Aug 1;40(9):1802–1816. doi: 10.1111/acer.13168

Figure 6. Ethanol-mediated disruption of the balance between excitation and inhibition.

Figure 6

Ethanol can perturb excitatory balance by altering astrocyte calcium signaling and the clearance of neurotransmitters. Ethanol modulates receptor-mediated responses in a pathway specific manner, and may directly increase Ca2+ signaling in a subset of astrocytes. Ethanol also suppresses adenosine-uptake via the astrocytic equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (ENT1), leading to increased levels of adenosine and activation of purinergic receptors (A1AR, A2AR, P2XR) resulting in indirect modulation of glutamate and GABA clearence. MR=muscarinic receptor, 5-HTR=serotonin receptor. See text for further details.