Alcohol abuse (intoxication, tolerance development, physical dependency) is perhaps the most significant drug problem in America today. Alcohol has a primary effect via its actions on nerve synapses and it is probable that many of the behavioral changes associated with its abuse are due to its effects on mechanisms responsible for synaptic plasticity. Hence, the long term goal of this project is to define the mechanisms by which alcohol affects synaptic plasticity to produce intoxication, tolerance or withdrawal dependence. To attain this goal, crayfish neuromuscular junctions which exhibit much synaptic plasticity have been- developed as a model system to characterize the electrophysiological and biophysical mechanisms by which alcohol alters synaptit plasticity to produce behavioral changes.
Our specific aims for this three yea: proposal are to characterize the pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms by which alcohol affects facilitation, post-tetanic potentiation, long-term potentiation, presynaptic inhibition, and postsynaptic sensitivity at neuromuscular junctions taken from control animals, from animals undergoing tolerance to chronic exposure, and from animals undergoing withdrawal dependence following chronic exposure.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AA007746-02
Application #
3111613
Study Section
Alcohol Biomedical Research Review Committee (ALCB)
Project Start
1988-04-01
Project End
1991-03-31
Budget Start
1989-04-01
Budget End
1990-03-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1989
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas Austin
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Austin
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
78713
Blundon, J A; Bittner, G D (1992) Effects of ethanol and other drugs on excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission in the crayfish. J Neurophysiol 67:576-87
Baxter, D A; Bittner, G D (1991) Synaptic plasticity at crayfish neuromuscular junctions: presynaptic inhibition. Synapse 7:244-51
Bittner, G D; Baxter, D A (1991) Synaptic plasticity at crayfish neuromuscular junctions: facilitation and augmentation. Synapse 7:235-43
Bittner, G D; Segundo, J P (1989) Effects of stimulus timing on transmitter release and postsynaptic membrane potential at crayfish neuromuscular junctions. J Comp Physiol A 165:371-82
Friedman, R N; Bittner, G D; Blundon, J A (1988) Electrophysiological and behavioral effects of ethanol on crayfish. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 246:125-31
Winegar, B D; Bittner, G D; Leslie, S W (1988) Effects of pentobarbital on behavioral and synaptic plasticities in crayfish. Brain Res 475:21-7