Chronic EtOH effects on AMPA and kainate receptors have been examined, with variable results. Increases in AMPA receptor subunit mRNA have been observed in hippocampus following chronic EtOH exposure (Bruckner et al. 1997). Expression of AMPAR subunit proteins was also induced by chronic exposure in primary cortical cultures (Chandler et al. 1999), while increased AMPAR binding was observed in cortical membranes from EtOH exposed animals (Haugbol et al. 2005). Evidence of increased AMPAR function has also been reported following chronic EtOH exposure, as measured with intracellular calcium signals in cerebellar Purkinje neurons (Netzeband et al. 1999), and AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic responses are increased in basolateral amygdala (Lack et al. 2007). This latter effect was observed following during withdrawal but not just after the end of chronic EtOH exposure. However, other studies have reported that AMPAR expression and function are not altered following chronic EtOH exposure (e.g. Smothers et al. 1997). The factors that underlie this variability in findings may include the type of preparation examined, the duration and pattern of EtOH exposure, and whether assays were performed just after the
