g-aminobutyric acid type A receptors that incorporate a5 subunits (a5-GABAARs) are highly enriched in the hippocampus and they are strongly implicated in the control of learning and memory.
Robert Pearce
Robert Pearce, MD, PhD – Slide of the Week
Previous experiments using genetic and pharmacological manipulations have provided strong evidence that etomidate impairs synaptic plasticity and memory by modulating a5-subunit containing GABAARs (a5-GABAARs). Since a5-GABAARs mediate tonic inhibition (TI) in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells, and etomidate enhances TI, etomidate enhancement of TI in pyramidal cells has been proposed as the underlying mechanism (Martin et al., 2009).