ETHANOL AND GLUTAMATE EFFECTS ON INTRACELLULAR MAGNESIUM

Acutely dissociated rat brain cells were loaded with the magnesium-sen sitive fluorescent dye furaptra. Stimulation with varying concentratio ns of GLU + 1 mu M GLY produced a concentration-dependent increase in free intracellular magnesium ([Mg2+](i)) that was not dependent on the presence of extracellular Mg2+. Ethanol (50 mM) did not significantly inhibit GLU/GLY-stimulated increases in [Mg2+](i). However, ethanol a lone significantly increased baseline [Mg2+](i). (C) 1997 Elsevier Sci ence Inc.