To examine the effects of acute alcohol exposure on the NMDA response in both control and chronically ethanol-treated neural cultures, a micropipette filled with 50µM glutamate and 10µM glycine was placed next to a patched neuron. Whole cell recordings were done in current clamp mode. aCSF used contained 10µM DNQX and did not contain Mg2+. The glutamate/glycine solution was puffed onto the cell every 30 sec and the responses were recorded. A baseline recording was taken for 5 min, and then a Mg2+ free aCSF supplemented with 50mM alcohol was perfused into the recording chamber. aCSF containing alcohol was perfused onto the cell for 5 min, with the glutamate/glycine puff occurring every 30 sec. Peak amplitude of the responses in the final 2 min of the baseline period and the final 2 min of the acute alcohol exposure period were calculated using the Axon program. Alcohol effects were analyzed via paired t-test using Graphpad Prism software.
