Rationale
Ethanol is commonly used and abused during adolescence. Although adolescents display differential behavioral responses to ethanol, the mechanisms by which this occurs are not known. The PKC pathway has been implicated in mediating many ethanol-related effects in adults, as well as GABAA receptor regulation.
Objectives
The present study was designed to characterize cortical PKC isoform and GABAA receptor subunit expression during adolescence relative to adults as well as assess PKC involvement in ethanol action.
Results
Novel PKC isoforms were elevated, while PKCγ was lower during mid-adolescence relative to adults. Whole cell lysate and synaptosomal preparations correlated for all isoforms except PKC δ In parallel, synaptosomal GABAA receptor subunit expression was also developmentally regulated, with GABAAR δ and α4 being lower while α1 and γ2 were higher or similar, respectively, in adolescents compared to adults. Following acute ethanol exposure, synaptosomal novel and atypical PKC isoform expression was decreased only in adolescents. Behaviorally, inhibiting PKC with calphostin C, significantly increased ethanol-induced loss of righting reflex (LORR) in adolescents but not adults, whereas activating PKC with phorbol-dibutyrate was ineffective in adolescents but decreased LORR duration in adults. Further investigation revealed that inhibiting the cytosolic phospholipase A2/arachidonic acid (cPLA2/AA) pathway increased LORR duration in adolescents, but was ineffective in adults.
Conclusions
These data indicate that PKC isoforms are variably regulated during adolescence and may contribute to adolescent ethanol-related behavior. Furthermore, age-related differences in the cPLA2/AA pathway may contribute to age-related ethanol’s effects on novel and atypical PKC isoform expression and behavior.