| First Author | Ting-A-Kee R | Year | 2009 |
| Journal | Eur J Neurosci | Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 6 | Pages | 1235-44 |
| PubMed ID | 19302158 | Mgi Jnum | J:147193 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3839680 | Doi | 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2009.06684.x |
| Citation | Ting-A-Kee R, et al. (2009) GABA(A) receptors mediate the opposing roles of dopamine and the tegmental pedunculopontine nucleus in the motivational effects of ethanol. Eur J Neurosci 29(6):1235-44 |
| abstractText | Recent work has demonstrated that changes in ventral tegmental area (VTA) GABA(A) receptor ion conductance properties are responsible for switching morphine's positive reinforcing properties from a dopamine-independent to a dopamine-dependent pathway when an animal transitions from a non-deprived (minimal drug exposure) to a dependent (chronic drug exposure) and withdrawn state. Here we show that a double dissociation of ethanol's positive reinforcing properties is exactly opposite to that seen with morphine. In C57BL/6 mice, ethanol-conditioned place preferences were blocked in dopamine D2 receptor knockout non-deprived mice, but not by a lesion of the tegmental pedunculopontine nucleus (TPP). On the other hand, TPP lesions, but not a D2 receptor mutation, blocked ethanol-conditioned place preferences in ethanol-dependent and withdrawn mice. The opposite effects of ethanol and opiates can be explained by their proposed actions through a common VTA GABA(A) receptor switching mechanism. |
