Corticosterone Increases Damage and Cytosolic Calcium Accumulation Associated With Ethanol Withdrawal in Rat Hippocampal Slice Cultures

Abstract

This report demonstrated that corticosterone exposure during ethanol treatment and/or withdrawal resulted in significant hippocampal damage, possibly via activation of glucocorticoid receptors and enhancement of the glutamatergic cascade. The findings from these studies suggest that glucocorticoids contribute to the neuropathological consequences of alcohol dependence in humans.