Microelectrophoretic application of SCH-23390 into the lateral septal nucleus blocks ethanol-induced suppression of LTP, in vivo, in the adult rodent hippocampus

Ethanol intoxication produces deficits in the acquisition of new information and blocks the induction of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), a candidate neurophysiological correlate for learning and memory. We report that, in adult rats, local application of the dopamine (DA) D-1 receptor antagonist SCH-23390 into the lateral septum (LS) blocks ethanol-induced suppression of LTP and alterations of paired-pulse responses in the dentate gyrus. This suggests a primary role for an extra-hippocampal circuit and neurotransmitter system mediating ethanol's ability to suppress LTP.