In vitro electrophysiological experiments in acute brain slices and in dissociated neurons reveal that ethanol begins to exert effects on the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in the low dose range. At a very low concentration of 1 mM, ethanol has been found to potentiate the peak current produced when glycine is co-applied onto dissociated rat VTA neurons by 20% [18]. Glycine receptors have long been known to be sensitive targets of alcohol, from work in brain and also in recombinant receptors [69].
