Ethanol enhances GABAergic transmission onto dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area of the rat.

Background: Activation of the dopaminergic (DA) neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) by ethanol has been implicated in its rewarding and reinforcing effects. At most central synapses, ethanol generally increases inhibitory synaptic transmission; however, no studies have explored the effect of acute ethanol on GABAergic transmission in the VTA.

Methods: Whole-cell patch clamp recordings of inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) from VTA-DA neurons in midbrain slices from young rats.