Robinson et al. 2005; Yavich and Tiihonen 2000). The EtOH-induced increase in striatal DA levels is unperturbed in DAT knockout mice, suggesting that the drug action responsible for this effect does not involve the transporter (Mathews et al. 2006). Furthermore, studies using in vitro voltammetry and in vivo microdialysis to measure dopamine levels indicate that direct infusion of EtOH into striatum does not alter DA levels (Mathews et al. 2006; Yan 2003; Yim et al. 1998). Thus, the physiologic impact of alterations in DAT function is not yet clear.
