However, few studies have investigated whether chronic ethanol administration during adolescence alters GABAA receptor structure or function. In fact, only three studies directly compare the two age groups. Specifically, adolescent and adult rats do not differ on bicuculline-induced seizure threshold (Wills et al. 2008), but differ on pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures (Acheson et al. 1999) following chronic ethanol. However, chronic ethanol exposure for 1 month differentially altered GABAA receptor function in adult vs. adolescents as measured by 3α,5α-THDOC potentiated Cl− flux (Grobin et al. 2001). These limited studies suggest that perhaps chronic ethanol might differentially alter GABAA receptor function when animals are exposed during adolescence as compared to adulthood. However, additional work is clearly needed on this topic.
