Sustained antagonism of acute ethanol-induced ataxia following microinfusion of cyclic AMP and cpt-cAMP in the mouse cerebellum

► Intracerebellar microinfusion of cAMP or cpt-cAMP dose dependently attenuated ethanol-induced ataxia. ► Sustained antagonism of ethanol-induced ataxia followed a single microinfusion of cAMP or cpt-cAMP that lasted > 25 h or > 31 h post-microinfusion. ► Consistent failure of ethanol to produce ataxia in animals microinfused cAMP or cpt-cAMP was not due to the development of tolerance to ethanol. ► The critical role of cAMP suggests an involvement of AC/cAMP/PKA signaling in ethanol-induced ataxia and its co-modulation by adenosine A1 and GABAA.