Hyperexcitability in adrenal cells after culture in ethanol: withdrawal or excitotoxicity.

Experiments on bovine adrenal chromaffin cells maintained in culture medium containing ethanol (200 mM for a period of 5 days) show evidence of cellular hyperexcitability upon removal of the drug. This appears to be due to an adaptive response to the initial depressant effects of ethanol. In this model system excitatory amino acids (EAA) have greater toxicity during this state of cellular hyperexcitability promoting the view that the same mechanisms which lead to cellular withdrawal may also be linked with processes of neurodegeneration. Recent findings suggest the increased toxicity of amino acids may be due to several different mechanisms: consequently, the investigation of this hypothesis is not straightforward.