Adolescent Alcohol Exposure Alters <scp>GABA_A</scp> Receptor Subunit Expression in Adult Hippocampus

Abstract

AIE produced both short- and long-term alterations of GABAA R subunits mRNA and protein expression in the hippocampus, whereas CIE produced no long-lasting effects on those measures. The observed reduction of protein levels of the δ-GABAA R, specifically, is consistent with previously reported altered hippocampal GABAA R-mediated electrophysiological responses after AIE. The absence of effects of CIE underscores the emerging view of adolescence as a time of distinctive vulnerability to the enduring effects of repeated EtOH exposure.