Ethanol enhancement of GABA-activated chloride current in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons.

The acute effects of ethanol on the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-activated current were studied with the rat dorsal root ganglion neurons in primary culture using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. GABA produced an inward chloride current, which was composed of an initial transient and a subsequent sustained phase. Ethanol at concentrations ranging from 30 to 300 mM enhanced the transient current in a concentration-dependent manner without affecting the sustained current.