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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Biology

University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

2011

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Effects Of Corticosterone And Ethanol Co-Exposure On Hippocampal Toxicity: Potential Role For The Nmda Nr2b Subunit, Tracy Renee Butler Jan 2011

Effects Of Corticosterone And Ethanol Co-Exposure On Hippocampal Toxicity: Potential Role For The Nmda Nr2b Subunit, Tracy Renee Butler

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Chronic ethanol (EtOH) exposure produces neuroadaptations within the NMDA receptor system and alterations in HPA axis functioning that contribute to neurodegeneration during ethanol withdrawal (EWD). Chronic EtOH exposure and EWD, as well as corticosteroids, also promote increased synthesis and release of polyamines, which allosterically potentiate NMDA receptor open-channel time at the NR2B subunit. The current studies investigated effects of 10 day EtOH and corticosterone (CORT) co-exposure on toxicity during EWD in rat organotypic hippocampal slice cultures, and alterations in function and/or density of the NR2B subunit of the NMDA receptor that may mediate CORT-potentiation of toxicity during EWD. We hypothesized …