Question

Acute alcohol _______ the effectiveness of glutamate at NMDA receptors and _______ glutamate release.

a. reduces; increases
b. increases; increases
c. increases; reduces
d. reduces; reduces

Answer 1

d. reduces; reduces

Step-by-step explanation:

N - methyl D aspartate (NMDA) is one of the major receptors of CNS that helps in the transfer of signals in between two neurons in the brain. Extracellular Magnesium ion voltage blocks these receptors by binding deep inside the channel pore . To unblock it and make it open to pass the signal by allowing sodium-potassium flux these receptors needs to bind with glutamate . Acute alcohol reduces these binding of glutamate to NMDA receptors because alcohol itself competitively binds to this receptors and so the channels remain blocked and thus suppress glutamate release . Thus alcohol acts as antagonist or reduces the activity of glutamate pathway .