Effects of Alcohol on Catecholamine Release and Clearance in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex of Rats (2013)

Undergraduates: Laura Kennerly, Tatiana Shnitko, PhD

Faculty Advisor: Donita Robinson
Department: Biology

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The mPFC has been studied for its importance in behaviorally associated learning, decision-making and impulsivity. Changes in catecholamine (CA) levels, which help modulate these behaviors, can result in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, and ADHD. This study analyzed the effects of systemic alcohol at varying doses (experiment 1) and the effect of locally infused alcohol to the VTA (experiment 2) on CA release and clearance in the rat mPFC using fast scan cyclic voltammetry. In experiment 1 we found that alcohol at doses 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg decreases electrically evoked CA release when compared to a within-subject saline injection (Two way RM ANOVA Dose x Group (control and experimental) interaction, P=0.01, post-hoc Tukey Test, P=0.005 for both 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg, vs 0.0 g/kg). We also found an increase of CA clearance time at 4.0 g/kg EtOH (Two way RM ANOVA Dose x Group (control and experimental) interaction P=0.003, post hoc Tukey Test P=0.042 and P=0.015 for 4.0 g/kg vs control group and 0.0 g/kg, respectively). In experiment 2 we found that local administration of alcohol to the VTA decreases evoked CA release in mPFC. Both release and clearance regulate CA concentration in the extracellular space and alcohol-induced changes in these processes may influence mechanisms of decision making and learning; however, future studies using awake animals are needed to verify these findings.