To examine the effects of chronic alcohol exposure on maximum amplitude of GABA-mediated current, responses were evoked by bath application of 10 μM GABA in mature (22–36 week old) neurons from 4 CTL lines and 5 AD lines treated with either neural differentiation media or media containing 50 mM alcohol for 9–21 days, with media replaced daily. Bath application of GABA produced a robust, reversible current that plateaued approximately 30–40 sec following application (Figure 2D). There was no significant effect of prolonged alcohol exposure on maximal current density of GABA-evoked responses (p = 0.42), and there was no significant interaction between alcohol treatment and donor status (p = 0.89) (Figure 2E). Importantly, comparison of non-alcohol exposed cells derived from CTLs and ADs used for the electrophysiological experiments revealed no difference in membrane capacitance (an indicator of cell size) (p = 0.22) or resting membrane potential (p = 0.91) (Figure 2F–G), suggesting that the cells used for electrophysiological analysis were of similar developmental maturity.
