PMCOL305 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Mecha, Nmda Receptor, Nucleus Accumbens
11 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
It was first believed that alcohol exerted its effects in the brain by non-specifically disrupting lipid bilayers. Alcohol can increase the fluidity of lipid membranes as can almost any anesthetic. Thought that this would perturb sodium and potassium channels involved in nerve conduction. This theory has fallen into disfavour - although it may contribute to the effect of alcohols. Believed it is its interaction with specific nts. Ligand gated ion channel a r whose integral ion channel is opened or closed by a nt. Most abundant subunits are alphas (6), betas (4), and gamma (3) and delta (relatively rare; role not fully understood) Gaba binds at interface b/w alpha and beta subunits. Central chloride ion channels opens when activated by gaba, chloride ions enter postsynaptic cell. Alcohol potentiates the effects of gaba but only in those rs containing delta subunits ion hyperpolarizes the.
