Estradiol increases the sensitivity of ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons to dopamine and ethanol
Fig 5
Estrogen receptors in the VTA acutely regulate the sensitivity of DA neurons to ethanol but not DA.
(A-B) Representative rate meter graphs showing response to 5 μM DA of a VTA DA neuron from a mouse in estrus (A) or diestrus (B) recorded before and during treatment with ICI 182,780. (C) Response to 5 μM DA of VTA DA neurons from mice in estrus (n = 6) or diestrus (n = 6) before and after treatment of slices containing the VTA with ICI 182,780. There was no change in DA inhibition with ICI 182,780 treatment, but there was a significant effect of cycle phase (*P < 0.05). (D-E) Representative rate meter graphs showing response to 80 mM ethanol of a VTA DA neuron from a mouse in estrus (D) or diestrus (E) recorded before and during treatment with ICI 182,780. (F) Response to 80 mM ethanol of VTA DA neurons from mice in estrus (n = 6) or diestrus (n = 6) before and after treatment of slices containing the VTA with ICI 182,780. The enhanced VTA DA neuron excitation by ethanol that was observed in mice in diestrus was decreased after treatment with ICI 182,780, whereas the ethanol response of VTA DA neurons from mice in estrus was not altered by ICI 182,780. *P < 0.05 by two-way RM ANOVA. #P < 0.05 between mice in estrus and diestrus before ICI 182,780 treatment by post-hoc Sidak’s multiple comparisons test.