Abstract
We examined the effects of acute ethanol exposure on recombinant human glycine receptors transiently transfected into HEK 293 cells and stably transfected into Ltk− fibroblast-like cells. In our study of the effects of ethanol, we used the whole-cell patch-clamp configuration. Relatively low concentrations of ethanol (25 mM and 50 mM) did not affect glycine-gated currents in any of the cell lines studied. Higher concentrations of ethanol (100 mM and 200 mM) significantly potentiated glycine responses only in stably transfected Ltk− cells expressing α1 and α2 subunits and in HEK 293 cells transiently expressing α2 subunits. Cells stably expressing α1 versus α2 glycine receptors were modulated equally by ethanol. Both glycine α1 and glycine α1β receptors transiently expressed in HEK 293 cells were insensitive to all concentrations of ethanol tested; however, there was a trend toward potentiation at 100 and 200 mM ethanol concentrations. A population of cells (41–87%) that was sensitive to the potentiating effects of 100 and 200 mM ethanol (defined as more than 10% potentiation) was identified in both cell lines tested. In these sensitive cells, ethanol (100 and 200 mM) produced significant potentiation, independent of the cell line and the glycine receptor sub-unit tested. Together with published results from studies with Xenopus oocytes, these data indicate that the sensitivity of recombinant glycine receptors to ethanol depends upon the expression system.
Published Version
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