Abstract

Individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) show deficits in cognitive function, such as response inhibition, and working memory. Many of these impairments are mediated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in humans, or the medial PFC in rodents. This study examines how excitatory glutamate receptor gene expression in the male mPFC is impacted by moderate and heavy ethanol exposure. Specifically, preliminary findings from our lab report increased glutamate transmission in layer 2/3 neurons of the prelimbic mPFC of ethanol-dependent male mice compared to naive mice. Less is known about the contribution of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid receptors (AMPARs) in the context of ethanol unlike other glutamate receptors, such as NMDARs. Our study will examine the changes in AMPAR gene expression, and the gene expression of various plasticity genes that have been previously implicated in AMPAR-related changes. We expect that there will be changes in the gene expression of AMPARs and plasticity genes.