The effect of ethanol and temperature on calcium-dependent sensory neuron action potentials.

The ability of ethanol to decrease the duration of sensory neuron action potentials was evaluated at different temperatures. Intracellular stimulation and recordings were made as the drug was perfused onto dorsal root ganglion neurons in vitro. The cells were bathed in a medium which caused the evoked action potentials to have long durations which were calcium dependent. Ethanol decreased the duration of the action potentials in a dose-dependent manner, without altering amplitude, rate of rise, or resting potential. Furthermore, the potency of the drug varied directly with the temperature of the bathing medium. The recovery time for the reversal of ethanol's effect was also found to be temperature dependent. However, moderate temperature changes alone did not significantly alter the action potential waveform. These data are compatible with a boundary lipid or direct effect on the calcium channel for the mechanism of ethanol's action.