Effects of ethanol on respiratory activity in the neonatal rat brainstem-spinal cord preparation.

Ethanol (1-12 mM) added to the superfusion medium of the isolated brainstem-spinal cords of newborn rats did not affect phrenic activity but significantly reduced hypoglossal activity by 54%, 67% and 55% at 3, 6 and 12 mM, respectively. Although the reasons for the suppression of hypoglossal activity remain unknown, this preparation may be a useful model for determining why cranial motoneurons are more vulnerable than phrenic motoneurons to various agents and, more generally, how ethanol impairs neural function.