Ethanol decreases Purkinje neuron excitability by increasing GABA release in rat cerebellar slices. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 327: 910–917

Cerebellar Purkinje neurons (PNs) receive inhibitory GABAergic input from stellate and basket cells, which are located in the outer and inner portions of the molecular layer, respectively. Ethanol (EtOH) was recently shown to increase GABAergic transmission at PNs via a mechanism that involves enhanced calcium release from presynaptic internal stores (J Pharmacol Exp Ther 323:356–364, 2007). Here, we further characterized the effect of EtOH on GABA release and assessed its impact on PN excitability. Using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysio-logical techniques in cerebellar vermis parasagittal slices, we found that EtOH acutely increases the frequency but not the amplitude or half-width of miniature and spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs). EtOH significantly increased the amplitude and decreased the paired pulse ratio of IPSC