@article {10790,
	title = {Scn4b regulates the hypnotic effects of ethanol and other sedative drugs},
	journal = {Genes Brain and Behavior},
	year = {2019},
	pages = {e12562},
	abstract = {The voltage-gated sodium channel subunit β4 (SCN4B) regulates neuronal activity by modulating channel gating and has been implicated in ethanol consumption in rodent models and human alcoholics. However, the functional role for Scn4b in ethanol-mediated behaviors is unknown. We determined if genetic global knockout or targeted knockdown of Scn4b in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) altered ethanol drinking or related behaviors. We used four different ethanol consumption procedures (continuous and intermittent two-bottle choice, drinking-in-the dark, and chronic intermittent ethanol vapor) and found that male and female Scn4b knockout mice did not differ from their wild-type littermates in ethanol consumption in any of the tests. Knockdown of Scn4b mRNA in the CeA also did not alter two-bottle choice ethanol drinking. However, Scn4b knockout mice demonstrated longer duration of the loss of righting reflex induced by ethanol, gaboxadol, pentobarbital, and ketamine. Knockout mice showed slower recovery to basal levels of handling-induced convulsions after ethanol injection, which is consistent with the increased sedative effects observed in these mice. However, Scn4b knockout mice did not differ in the severity of acute ethanol withdrawal. Acoustic startle responses, ethanol-induced hypothermia, and clearance of blood ethanol also did not differ between the genotypes. There were also no functional differences in the membrane properties or excitability of CeA neurons from Scn4b knockout and wild-type mice. Although we found no evidence that Scn4b regulates ethanol consumption in mice, it was involved in the acute hypnotic effects of ethanol and other sedatives.},
	author = {Blednov YA, and Bajo M, and Roberts AJ, and Da Costa AJ, and Black M, and Edmunds S, and Mayfield J, and Roberto M and Homanics GE, and Lasek AW, and Hitzemann RJ, and Harris RA}
}
