Abstracts—Symposia

The document discussed research on the effects of chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal on GABAA receptor subunit expression and function. Ticku's laboratory was a pioneer in this field, focusing on the cellular location, subunit composition, and functional role of these receptors to aid drug development. The research highlighted that certain changes in gene expression and receptor function during ethanol withdrawal could be selectively blocked by drugs like diazepam, flumazenil, or c-hydroxybutyrate, but not by gaboxadol or neuroactive steroids. Additionally, some changes appeared to be mediated by steroids, as they were blocked by the 5a-reductase inhibitor finasteride. Further research was needed to fully understand the molecular mechanisms involved.