MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Alcohol' source. Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:08:14 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5420250&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911004344%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Chronic ethanol abuse results in hepatocyte injury and impairs hepatocyte replication. We have previously shown that ethanol metabolism results in cell cycle arrest at the G2/M transition, which is partially mediated by inhibitory phosphorylation of the cyclin-dependent kinase, Cdc2. To further delineate the mechanisms by which ethanol metabolism mediates this G2/M arrest, we investigated the involvement of upstream regulators of Cdc2 activity. Cdc2 is activated by the phosphatase Cdc25C. The activity of Cdc25C can, in turn, be regulated by the checkpoint kinase, Chk2, which is regulated by the kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM). To investigate the involvement of the regulators of Cdc2 activity, VA-13 cells, which are Hep G2 cells modified to efficiently express alcohol d... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5420250 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5420250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5420246&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911004368%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The swim-test susceptible (SUS) line of rats has been bred in our laboratory for the characteristic of reduced motor activity in the swim test following exposure to an acute stressor. Testing of multiple generations of SUS rats has also revealed that they consume large amounts of ethanol voluntarily. As reported for lines of rats that show a propensity for high-ethanol intake, the SUS rats show evidence of low serotonergic function. Because serotonergic function has often been shown to be involved in the regulation of alcohol consumption, here we examined the effects of manipulations of serotonin transmission on intake of ethanol by SUS rats. Fenfluramine, a serotonin-releasing drug, was injected at various doses (0.625, 1.25, 2.5, and 5.0mg/kg) twice per day and ethanol intake w... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5420246 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5420246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5420248&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183291100437X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Several lines of evidence suggest that fluctuations in endogenous levels of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurosteroid allopregnanolone (ALLO) represent one mechanism for regulation of GABAergic inhibitory tone in the brain, with an ultimate impact on behavior. Consistent with this idea, there was an inverse relationship between ALLO levels and symptoms of anxiety and depression in humans and convulsive activity in rodents during alcohol withdrawal. Our recent studies examined the activity and expression of 5α-reductase (Srd5a1), the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of ALLO, during alcohol withdrawal in mice selectively bred for high chronic alcohol withdrawal (Withdrawal Seizure-Prone [WSP]) and found that Srd5a1 was downregulated in the cortex and hippocampus ov... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5420248 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5420248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5420251&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911004319%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Sepsis is a major cause of death worldwide. The associated risks and mortality are known to significantly increase on exposure to alcohol (chronic or acute). The underlying mechanisms of the association of acute ethanol ingestion and poor prognosis of sepsis are largely unknown. The study described here was designed to determine in detail the role of ethanol and TLR4 in the pathogenesis of the sepsis syndrome. The effects of acute ethanol exposure and TLR4 on bacterial clearance, spleen cell numbers, peritoneal macrophage numbers, and cytokine production were evaluated using wild-type and TLR4 hyporesponsive mice treated with ethanol and then challenged with a nonpathogenic strain of Escherichia coli. Ethanol-treated mice exhibited a decreased clearance of bacteria and produced l... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5420251 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5420251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5271538&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911004071%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Neurons in the central amygdala (CeA) co-express dynorphin and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). Moreover, the activity of both the CRH and dynorphin systems in CeA is altered by alcohol treatments, effects suggesting interactions between the CRH and dynorphin systems. Thus, the objectives of the present study were to investigate the effects of (1) activating CRH receptors (CRHRs) by microinjection of CRH in CeA and (2) blocking CRHRs by local microinjections of CRHR antagonists in the CeA on the alcohol-induced changes in the extracellular concentrations of dynorphin A1-8 with in vivo microdialysis experiments. Microdialysis probes with a microinjection port were implanted in the CeA of alcohol-naïve Sprague–Dawley rats. Microinjections of CRH or antalarmin, a CRH recep... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5271538 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5271538 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107432&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911003570%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: In well-trained animals, accumbal dopamine release is stimulated during operant ethanol self-administration, but the time course of development of this dopaminergic response, particularly during the acquisition of ethanol drinking behavior, remains unknown. To examine this, we trained male Long–Evans rats to self-administer 10% ethanol plus 10% sucrose, using a protocol in which the concentration of ethanol was kept constant throughout the study. The animals were required to press the lever four times to gain continuous access to the drinking solution for 20 minutes, and microdialysis was performed on either the first or second day of 10% ethanol plus 10% sucrose self-administration or 10% sucrose as controls. Ethanol and dopamine were both analyzed in the dialysates. All group... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107432 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:50:56 +0100 5107432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107431&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911003582%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Moderate ethanol exposure produces neuroadaptive changes in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) system in nondependent rats and increases measures of DA neuronal activity in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, moderate ethanol drinking and moderate systemic exposure elevates extracellular DA levels in mesocorticolimbic projection regions. However, the neuroadaptive changes subsequent to moderate ethanol drinking on basal DA levels have not been investigated in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). In the present study, adult female alcohol-preferring (P) rats were divided into alcohol-naive, alcohol-drinking, and alcohol-deprived groups. The alcohol-drinking group had continuous access to water and ethanol (15%, vol/vol) for 8 weeks. The alcohol-deprived group had 6 weeks of access follow... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107431 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:50:55 +0100 5107431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107429&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183291100382X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Alcohol is the most frequently abused substance in the world. Both acute and chronic alcohol consumption have diverse and well-documented effects on the human immune system, leading to increased susceptibility to infections like bacterial pneumonia. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common bacterial etiology of community-acquired pneumonia worldwide. The frequency and severity of pneumococcal infections in individuals with a history of alcohol abuse is much higher than the general population. Despite this obvious epidemiological relevance, very few experimental studies have focused on the interaction of pneumococci with the immune system of a host acutely or chronically exposed to alcohol. Understanding these host–pathogen interactions is imperative for designing effective p... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107429 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:50:53 +0100 5107429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5420252&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911004125%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Adrenomedullin (AM) is a peptide that displays cardiovascular protective activity. We investigated the effects of chronic ethanol consumption on vascular reactivity to AM and the expression of AM system components in the rat aorta. Male Wistar rats were treated with ethanol (20% vol/vol) for 6 weeks. Vascular reactivity experiments were performed in the isolated rat aorta. Metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) levels were determined by gelatin zymography. Nitrite and nitrate generation was measured by chemiluminescence. Protein and mRNA levels of pre-pro-AM, calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CRLR) and RAMP1, 2, and 3 (receptor-activity-modifying proteins) were assessed by western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Ethanol intake reduced AM-induced rel... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5420252 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5420252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5420247&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911004095%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The main goal of this study was to investigate the ability of an ethanol dose (1g/kg) administered intraperitoneally to induce conditioned place preference (CPP) and/or conditioned place aversion (CPA) in two lines of rats selectively bred for their high (UChB) or low (UChA) voluntary ethanol intake. It was found that five pairings with ethanol induced CPA in ethanol-naïve rats of both lines, but the magnitude of avoidance was lower in the UChB relative to the UChA rats, indicating that ethanol was less aversive to naïve rats bred for high alcohol drinking. After 2 months of high voluntary ethanol drinking (∼6–7g/kg/day), in free choice between 10% ethanol and water, ethanol produced CPP in UChB rats, reflecting that ethanol had become rewarding to these rats. By contrast, ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5420247 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5420247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5271544&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911004149%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Both endothelial lipase gene (LIPG) 584C>T (rs2000813) polymorphism and alcohol consumption modulate serum lipid levels. But their interactions on serum lipid profiles are not well known. The present study was undertaken to detect the interactions of LIPG 584C>T polymorphism and alcohol consumption on serum lipid levels. Genotyping of the LIPG 584C>T was performed in 763 unrelated nondrinkers and 520 drinkers aged 15–85 years. The levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), apolipoprotein (Apo) AI, and the ratio of ApoAI to ApoB were higher in drinkers than in nondrinkers (P T genotypes and alcohol consumption on serum HDL-C (P T alleles (P T alleles (P (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5271544 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5271544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5420249&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911004101%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: We have previously shown that acetaldehyde (ACD), the first metabolite of ethanol, regulates its motivational properties and possesses reinforcing effects by itself. A large and still growing body of evidence indicates that the endogenous opioidergic system plays a critical role in the motivational effects of ethanol and suggests a role for extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in these effects of both ethanol and ACD. The present study was undertaken to examine if opioid-mediated mechanisms are involved in the reinforcing properties of ACD and in ACD-elicited ERK activation. To this end, Wistar rats were trained to orally self-administer ACD (0.2%) by nose poking. Responses on active nose poke caused delivery of ACD solution, whereas responses on inactive nose poke had no ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5420249 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5420249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5271539&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911004113%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Individual differences in dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) expression in the brain are thought to influence motivation and reinforcement for ethanol and other rewards. D2R exists in two isoforms, D2 long (D2LR) and D2 short (D2SR), produced by alternative splicing of the same gene. The relative contributions of D2LR versus D2SR to ethanol and sugar water drinking are not known. Genetic engineering was used to produce a line of knockout (KO) mice that lack D2LR and consequently have increased expression of D2SR. KO and wild-type (WT) mice of both sexes were tested for intake of 20% ethanol, 10% sugar water and plain tap water using established drinking-in-the-dark procedures. Mice were also tested for effects of the D2 antagonist eticlopride on intake of ethanol to determine whether KO ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5271539 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5271539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975759&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911003879%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study supports the idea that genes influence malformation risk following in utero alcohol exposure. Specifically, maternal genes influence risk more than fetal genes for some teratogenic outcomes. No evidence supported synergistic genetic effects on ethanol teratogenesis. This research supports the conclusion that uterine environment contributes to determining risk of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975759 Sun, 05 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4975759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5420245&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911003855%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: An increasing number of studies use functional MRI (fMRI) and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal to investigate the neurofunctional basis of acute alcohol effects on the brain. However, the BOLD signal reflects neural activity only indirectly as it depends on regional hemodynamic changes and is therefore sensitive to vasoactive substances, such as alcohol. We used MRI-based pulsed arterial spin labeling (ASL) method to quantify effects of acute intoxication on resting cerebral perfusion. Gender effects have not been previously examined and yet they are of particular interest given the differences in hormonal dynamics, alcohol metabolism, and hemodynamic regulation. Nineteen young, healthy individuals (nine women) with no personal or familial alcohol- or drug-related probl... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5420245 Mon, 30 May 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5420245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107436&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911003600%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Many intracellular proteins and signaling cascades contribute to the ethanol sensitivity of native N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). One putative protein is the serine/threonine kinase, protein kinase C (PKC). The purpose of this study was to assess if PKC modulates the ethanol sensitivity of native NMDARs expressed in primary cultured cerebellar granule cells (CGCs). With the whole-cell patch-clamp technique, we assessed if ethanol inhibition of NMDA-induced currents (INMDA) (100μM NMDA plus 10μM glycine) were altered in CGCs in which the novel and classical PKC isoforms were activated by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). Percent inhibition by 10, 50, or 100mM ethanol of NMDA-induced steady-state current amplitudes (ISS) or peak current amplitudes (IPk) of NMDARs e... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107436 Sun, 29 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5107436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107430&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911003831%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The orexins (hypocretins) are neuropeptides deriving from the lateral hypothalamus and may be of importance within the context of drug craving, withdrawal, and relapse. Therefore, the orexin A expression and promoter methylation in peripheral blood cells of 68 patients (41 male and 27 female patients at three different time points during withdrawal and 27 patients during stationary dehabituation therapy) suffering from alcohol dependence were assessed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and bisulfite sequencing. There was a statistically significant difference of orexin A expression between the three time points of withdrawal and long-term (LT) abstinence (F=4.16, P=.011). This difference was most prominent in comparison with LT abstinence (t=−3.08,... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107430 Sun, 29 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5107430 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975765&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911003843%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Many adolescents have chronic exposure to hazardous levels of alcohol. This is likely to be a significant predictor of health outcomes, including those related to immunity. We assessed substance use and biochemical immunological parameters in heavy drinking adolescents (meeting DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence) and light/nondrinking control adolescents in Cape Town. Lifetime alcohol dose, measured in standard units of alcohol, was orders of magnitude higher in alcohol-dependent (AD) participants than controls. All adolescent AD had a “weekends-only” style of alcohol consumption. The AD group was chosen to represent relatively “pure” AD, with minimal other drug use and no psychiatric diagnoses. With these narrow parameters in place, we found that AD adolescents were ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975765 Sun, 29 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4975765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975763&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911003545%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Previous studies suggest that high levels of alcohol consumption can be obtained in laboratory rats by using beer as a test solution. The present study extended these observations to examine the intake of beer and equivalent dilute ethanol solutions with an inbred line of alcohol-preferring P rats. In Experiment 1, male adolescent P rats and age-matched Wistar rats had access to either beer or equivalent ethanol solutions for 1h daily in a custom-built lickometer apparatus. In subsequent experiments, adolescent (Experiment 2) and adult (Experiment 3) male P rats were given continuous 24-h home cage access to beer or dilute ethanol solutions, with concomitant access to lab chow and water. In each experiment, the alcohol content of the beer and dilute ethanol solutions was graduall... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975763 Sun, 29 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4975763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975757&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911003867%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes The objective of the present study was to get more conclusive evidence for the potential role of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal and hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal axes in alcohol drinking by using the F2 experimental design. Alcohol-preferring AA and alcohol-nonpreferring ANA rat lines were crossbred to form a F1 population from which the final F2 population was derived. Male animals were challenged with a priming alcohol dose after which a 3 weeks’ voluntary alcohol drinking period took place. After a washout period of 1 week, one-half of the 40 highest and 40 lowest alcohol drinkers were challenged with a second dose of alcohol and the other half with saline. Serum testosterone and corticosterone levels were measured before and during the test. Higher endogenous testosteron... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975757 Sun, 29 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4975757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107434&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911003612%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes In this study, we recorded GABAA receptor-mediated tonic currents in dentate gyrus granule cells in hippocampal slices from adolescent and adult rats. As previously reported, we found that ethanol potentiated the currents more efficaciously in cells from adolescents than in those from adults. We also found that the GAT-1 blocker NO-711 eliminated this developmental difference in ethanol sensitivity. These findings suggest that regulation of ambient GABA by GABA transporters may contribute to the difference in ethanol sensitivity between adolescents and adults. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107434 Tue, 24 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5107434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975762&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911003594%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The effects of ethanol differ in adolescent and adult rats on a number of measures. The evidence of the effects of ethanol on spatial memory in adolescents and adults is equivocal. Whether adolescents are more or less sensitive to ethanol-induced impairment of spatial memory acquisition remains unclear; with regard to the effects of acute ethanol on spatial memory retrieval there is almost no research looking into any age difference. Thus, we examined the effects of acute ethanol on spatial memory in the Morris Watermaze in adolescents and adults. Allopregnanolone (ALLO) is a modulator of the GABAA receptor and has similar behavioral effects as ethanol. We sought to also determine the effects of allopreganolone on spatial memory in adolescent and adults. Male adolescent (post nat... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975762 Tue, 24 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4975762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975760&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911003569%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Repeated administration of low doses of ethanol gradually increases locomotor responses to ethanol in adult Swiss mice. This phenomenon is known as behavioral sensitization. However, we have shown that adolescent Swiss mice show either behavioral tolerance or no sensitization after repeated ethanol injections. Although the mesolimbic dopamine system has been extensively implicated in behavioral sensitization, several studies have demonstrated an important role of glutamatergic transmission in this phenomenon. In addition, relatively few studies have examined the role of developmental factors in behavioral sensitization to ethanol. To examine the relationship between age differences in behavioral sensitization to ethanol and the neurochemical adaptations related to glutamate withi... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975760 Sun, 15 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4975760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975764&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911003557%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes We examined the association between alcohol-drinking patterns and MS by using the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) questionnaire to study 1,768 alcohol drinkers (847 men, 921 women) aged 20–75 years from Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2007. When compared with the subjects in the reference group (AUDIT score ≤7), the odds ratios (ORs, 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for MS of subjects in the highest group (AUDIT score ≥16) were 3.92 (2.40–6.22) in men and 2.27 (0.87–5.89) in women after adjusting for confounding variables. Among the items of the AUDIT score, several alcohol-drinking patterns, including “drinking frequency,” “usual drinking quantity,” “frequency of high-risk drinking,” “frequency of inability to stop drink... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975764 Thu, 05 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4975764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658314&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911001649%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658314 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:48:37 +0100 4658314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658313&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911001637%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658313 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:48:36 +0100 4658313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841358&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911000188%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: It is well established that bone maintenance and healing is compromised in alcoholics. Adult bone marrow–derived stromal cells (BMSCs) and adipose tissue–derived stromal cells (ASCs) likely contribute to bone homeostasis and formation. Direct and indirect alcohol exposure inhibits osteoprogenitor cell function through a variety of proposed mechanisms. The goal of this study was to characterize the effects of chronic alcohol ingestion on the native number and in vitro growth characteristics and multipotentiality of adult BMSCs and ASCs in a rat model. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats received a liquid diet containing 36% ethanol or an isocaloric substitution of dextramaltose (control). After 4, 8, or 12 weeks of the diet, ASCs were harvested from epididymal adipose tissue and ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841358 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4841358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5271546&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001771%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study examines whether school performance at 14 years is associated with drinking problems in early adulthood; and whether this association is explained by family and individual factors in childhood and adolescence. Data were from a 21-year follow-up of 3,478 Australian young adults from birth to the age of 21 years when data on use of alcohol were collected. Child school performance (CSP) was assessed at 14 years via self- and maternal report. Alcohol consumption at 21 years was measured via self-report, and alcohol abuse and dependence were assessed by the computerized version of Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-Auto). Potential confounding factors were prospectively measured between the child’s birth and age of 14 years. School performance at 14 years predicted... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5271546 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5271546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975761&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911000176%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The adolescent brain is particularly vulnerable to the effects of alcohol, with intoxications at this developmental age often producing long-lasting effects. The present study addresses the effects of a single acute ethanol exposure on growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression in neurons in the cerebellum and hippocampus of adolescent rats. Male postnatal day 23 (P23) Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to ethanol vapors for 2h and after a recovery period of 2h, the cerebellum and hippocampus were harvested and samples were taken for blood alcohol concentration (BAC) determinations. We found that this exposure resulted in a mean BAC of 174mg/dL, which resembles levels in human adolescents after binge drinking. Analyses of to... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975761 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4975761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841350&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832911000024%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This report demonstrates for the first time that (1) GCN5 differentially affects expression of multiple genes, (2) ethanol-induced histone H3-lysine 9 acetylation is mediated via GCN5, and (3) GCN5 is involved in ethanol-induced expression of the putative choline transporter SLC44A2. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841350 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4841350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841351&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183291100019X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Preclinical and clinical evidence suggest an association between alcoholism and the primary regulator of extracellular dopamine concentrations, the dopamine transporter (DAT). However, the nature of this association is unclear. We determined if 10 days of voluntary alcohol self-administration followed by withdrawal could directly alter DAT function, or if genetically mediated changes in DAT function and/or availability could influence vulnerability to alcohol abuse. Heterozygous (DAT+/−) and homozygous mutant (DAT−/−) and wild-type (DAT+/+) mice were allowed to consume 5% alcohol in a schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) task. In vivo fixed potential amperometry in anesthetized mice was used to (1) identify functional characteristics of mesoaccumbens dopamine neurons related t... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841351 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4841351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470393&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001187%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a neurotransmitter widely distributed in the central nervous system. Several studies have demonstrated that increases of NPY are associated with reduced alcohol intake and anxiety manifestations. The Leu7Pro polymorphism in the NPY has been associated with alcohol consumption, but evidence is scarce. In the Spanish Mediterranean population, this variant is not polymorphic. Thus, our aim is to identify novel functional variants in the NPY and to investigate the impact of these markers and others previously described on alcohol consumption in this population. A total of 911 subjects (321 men and 590 women) from the Spanish Mediterranean population were recruited. Alcohol consumption, and demographic and lifestyle variables were measured. Nucleotide sequence ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470393 Sun, 13 Feb 2011 03:11:14 +0100 4470393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975766&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910002211%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes In the January 2005 issue of Alcohol [2005, 35:57–66], in the article titled “Formation of acetaldehyde adducts of glutathione S-transferase A3 in the liver of rats administered alcohol chronically,” there was an error in the second author’s name. The correct names of all the authors follow: (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975766 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4975766 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5271540&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183291000220X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The present study investigated whether nitric oxide (NO)–producing neurons localized in brain areas related to anxiety are also activated after ethanol withdrawal. Male Wistar rats were subjected to an oral ethanol self-administration procedure, in which they were offered 6–8% (vol/vol) ethanol solution for a period of 21 days followed by abrupt discontinuation of the treatment. Control animals received control dietary fluid for similar periods of time. Twenty-four or 48h after ethanol discontinuation, the animals were exposed to the open field for 10min. Two hours later, their brains were removed and processed for Fos immunohistochemistry and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase histochemistry (which is used to detect NO-producing neurons). Decreased explor... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5271540 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5271540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107435&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001977%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study demonstrates age-dependent effects of chronic unpredictable ethanol exposure in chronically stressed mice on anxiety-like behaviors during adulthood. Further, CSI-CUS-EtOH exposure results in blunted LTP expression in the adult dlBNST. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107435 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 5107435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975758&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910002193%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: We have selectively bred mice that reach very high blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) after drinking from a single bottle of 20% ethanol. High Drinking in the Dark (HDID-1) mice drink nearly 6g/kg ethanol in 4h and reach average BECs of more than 1.0mg/mL. Previous studies suggest that DID and two-bottle preference for 10% ethanol with continuous access are influenced by many of the same genes. We therefore asked whether HDID-1 mice would differ from the HS/Npt control stock on two-bottle preference drinking. We serially offered mice access to 3–40% ethanol in tap water versus tap water. For ethanol concentrations between 3 and 20%, HDID-1 and HS/Npt controls did not differ in two-bottle preference drinking. At the highest concentrations, the HS/Npt mice drank more than the HD... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975758 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4975758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294524&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001722%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Alcohol abuse and dependence are considered public health problems, with an etiological onset often occurring during late childhood and adolescence, and understanding age-related differences in ethanol sensitivity is important. Low to moderate ethanol doses (0.5 and 2.0g/kg, intragastrically [i.g.]) induce single-trial, appetitive second-order place conditioning (SOC) in adolescent, but not adult, rats. Recent studies have demonstrated that adolescents may be less sensitive than adults to the aversive properties of ethanol, reflected by conditioned taste aversion. The present study assessed the aversive motivational effects of high-dose ethanol (3.0 and 3.25g/kg, i.g., for adolescents and adults, respectively) using SOC. Experiment 1 revealed similar blood and brain ethanol level... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294524 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 06:32:54 +0100 4294524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5271545&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910002016%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes We examined promoter methylation of three genes, the E-cadherin, p16, and retinoic acid-binding receptor-β2 (RAR-β2) genes in archived breast tumor tissues from participants in a population-based case–control study. Real time methylation-specific PCR was performed on 803 paraffin-embedded samples, and lifetime alcohol consumption was queried. Unordered polytomous and unconditional logistic regression were used to derive adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RAR-β2 methylation was not associated with drinking. Among premenopausal women, alcohol consumption was also not associated with promoter methylation for E-cadherin and p16 genes. In case–case comparisons of postmenopausal breast cancer, compared with lifetime never drinkers, promoter methylation likeliho... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5271545 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 5271545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107437&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910002004%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Understanding the mechanism of action of ethanol and the neurobiological substrates for alcohol use disorders is challenging. In search of this knowledge, it is imperative to use valid animal experimental models. The Wistar rat is one example of a commonly used strain that also exert foundation stock for several rat lines selectively bred for high and low voluntary ethanol intake. Different studies report varying ethanol intake in Wistar rats posing the question of whether this is because of the methodological differences or the rat strain. The purpose of this study was therefore to compare voluntary ethanol intake in Wistar rats from five different suppliers. Rats from B&K Universal, UK (BK); Charles River, Germany; Harlan Laboratories, IN (Hsd); Harlan Laboratories, The Netherl... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107437 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 5107437 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658308&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001990%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The risk of suicide in patients with alcoholism increases if alcoholism is related to comorbid depression. Both alcoholism and suicidal behavior are associated with reduced serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) function. Because suicide is enormous public health problem worldwide, to prevent suicide attempts, it is important to find peripheral marker of suicidal behavior. The aim of this study was to assess whether platelet 5-HT concentration is altered in alcoholic patients with or without suicide attempt. Platelet 5-HT concentration was evaluated in 397 male and 108 female ethnically homogenous medication-free patients with alcoholism, subdivided according to smoking status, comorbid depression, and a history of suicide attempt and in 450 male and 139 female healthy control (n... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658308 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4658308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5271543&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001965%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes In this study, we investigated the effects of in utero exposure to ethanol on maturation and immunity of the fetal lung. Pregnant ewes were surgically implanted with an abomasal cannula and administered 1g ethanol/kg (n=8) or water (n=8) during the last trimester of pregnancy. Lambs were delivered prematurely or naturally. Neonatal lungs were assessed for maturation markers (hypoxia-inducible factor-1α [HIF-1α], HIF-2α, HIF-3α, vascular endothelial growth factor-A [VEGF-A], VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, glycogen, and lung protein levels) and immunity (cytokines and chemokines). Preterm animals exposed to ethanol had significantly reduced VEGF-A mRNA (P=.066) and protein levels, HIF-1α (P=.055), HIF-2α (P=.019), VEGFR-1 (P=.088), and VEGFR-2 (P=.067) mRNA levels but no changes in HIF-3α mRNA. No... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5271543 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 5271543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5271541&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001989%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The alcohol-tolerant AT and alcohol-nontolerant ANT rat lines have been selectively bred for innate sensitivity to ethanol-induced motor impairment. The cerebellar GABAA receptor (GABAAR) α6 subunit alleles α6-100R and α6-100Q are segregated in the AT and ANT rats, respectively. This α6 polymorphism might explain various differences in pharmacological properties and density of GABAARs between the rat lines. In the present study, we have used nonselected outbred Sprague–Dawley rats homozygous for the α6-100RR (RR) and α6-100QQ (QQ) genotypes to show that these RR and QQ rats display similar differences between genotypes as AT and ANT rat lines. The genotypes differed in their affinity for [3H]Ro 15-4513 and classic benzodiazepines (BZs) to cerebellar “diazepam-insensitiv... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5271541 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 5271541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841356&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183291000145X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are ligand-gated ion channels activated by the neurotransmitter glutamate. These channels are highly expressed by brain neurons and are critically involved in excitatory synaptic transmission. Results from previous studies show that both native and recombinant NMDA receptors are inhibited by ethanol at concentrations associated with signs of behavioral impairment and intoxication. Given the important role that NMDA receptors play in synaptic transmission and brain function, it is important to understand the factors that regulate the ethanol inhibition of these receptors. One dynamic mechanism for regulating ethanol action may be via phosphorylation of NMDA subunits by serine–threonine and tyrosine kinases. Both NR1 and NR2 subunits contain ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841356 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4841356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658309&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001710%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes In conclusion, both genotype and alcohol consumption were associated with an increased risk of CRC. Owing to limited statistical power, we found no apparent evidence for the ADH1C genotype as effect modifier of the relationship between alcohol intake and CRC. Nevertheless, the interaction deserves further investigation in larger genetic epidemiologic studies. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658309 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4658309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5271547&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001758%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Males and females show different patterns of cognitive impairment when blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) are high. To investigate whether gender differences persist at low BACs, cognitive impairment was tested in 21 participants (11 female, 10 male) using a brief computerized perceptual judgment task that provides error rate and response time data. Participants consumed a measured dose of alcohol (average peak BAC: females: 0.052g/100mL, males: 0.055g/100mL), and were tested at four time points spanning both the rising and falling limbs of the BAC curve, in addition to a prealcohol time point. Comparisons were made against performance of these same participants at equivalent time points in an alcohol-free control condition. Males and females displayed a trend toward slower resp... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5271547 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 5271547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5271542&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183291000176X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study was undertaken to examine the modulation of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defense systems in rat intestine by subchronic fluoride and ethanol administration. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: group I (control), group II (fluoride was given orally at a dose of 25mg/kg body weight), group III (30% ethanol was given orally at a dose of 1mL/kg body weight), and group IV (a combination of fluoride and ethanol was administered orally at the dose described for groups II and III). Lipid peroxidation was elevated (P (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5271542 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 5271542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107433&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001692%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes We examined JNJ-31020028 in operant alcohol self-administration, stress-induced reinstatement to alcohol seeking, and acute alcohol withdrawal (hangover)-induced anxiety. Furthermore, we tested its effects on voluntary alcohol consumption in a genetic animal model of alcohol preference, the alcohol-preferring (P) rat. Neither systemic (0, 15, 30, and 40mg/kg, subcutaneously [s.c.]) nor intracerebroventricular (0.0, 0.3, and 1.0nmol/rat) administration of JNJ-31020028 affected alcohol-reinforced lever pressing or relapse to alcohol seeking behavior following stress exposure. Also, when its effects were tested on unlimited access to alcohol in P rats, preference for alcohol solution was transiently suppressed but without affecting voluntary alcohol intake. JNJ-31020028 (15mg/kg, s.c.) did re... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107433 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 5107433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841359&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001734%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Alcohol abuse is considered as one of the problems associated with poor semen production and sperm quality. Both acute and chronic alcohol consumption may affect spermatozoal chromatin disorders through apoptosis. Therefore, for the first time, this experimental study was performed to evaluate the effect of ethanol consumption on sperm parameters and chromatin integrity of spermatozoa aspirated from cauda epididymis of rats. Twenty adult Wistar rats were divided into ethanol consumption and control groups. Access to ethanol and water was provided ad libitum for experimental and control animals, respectively. The cauda epididymal spermatozoa were aspirated for analysis of sperm parameters and sperm chromatin integrity with aniline blue (AB), chromomycin A3 (CMA3), toluidine blue (... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841359 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4841359 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841355&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001746%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: During late adolescence (postnatal days, PNDs, 45–55), male and female hooded rats were exposed to alcohol (1.14–1.33g/kg/day), caffeine (27.03–27.22mg/kg/day) or alcohol and caffeine together (1.20–1.34g/kg/day alcohol plus 23.85–26.48mg/kg/day caffeine) via their drinking water. The rats’ anxiety-related behavior was then assessed on reaching mid adulthood at PND120 in a light–dark box and an open field. For males only, alcohol alone led to increased entries of the light–dark box and (compared with water- or caffeine-exposed subjects) open-field rearing. Alcohol and caffeine combined also increased entries of the light–dark box light compartment and open-field ambulation for males only. The drug combination led to more male ambulation than for alcohol alone, a... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841355 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4841355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841352&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001709%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Ghrelin, the first endogenous ligand for the type 1A growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1A), plays a role in energy balance, feeding behavior, and reward. Previously, we showed that pharmacologic and genetic suppression of the GHS-R1A attenuates the alcohol-induced stimulation, accumbal dopamine release, and conditioned place preference as well as alcohol consumption in mice, implying that the GHS-R1A is required for alcohol reward. The present study further elucidates the role of ghrelin for alcohol-induced dopamine release in nucleus accumbens and locomotor stimulation by means of ghrelin knockout mice. We found that the ability of alcohol to increase accumbal dopamine release in wild-type mice is not observed in ghrelin knockout mice. Furthermore, alcohol induced a loc... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841352 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4841352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841357&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001126%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Moderate intake of alcoholic beverages decreases the incidence of cardiovascular pathologies, but it is in dispute if cardioprotective effects are due to ethanol, to polyphenolic compounds present in beverages or to a combination of both. In humans, effects of high, moderate, and low doses of alcoholic beverages are widely studied, but effects of pure alcohol remain unclear. On the other hand, experiments with laboratory animals are centered on high toxicological doses of ethanol but not on low doses. In the present study, we have aimed to mimic in the rat the pattern of alcohol intake in Mediterranean population. Alcohol ingestion is spread along the day and not always related to solid food consumption. We tried to define the beneficial and harmful effects of pure ethanol ingest... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841357 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4841357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470392&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001412%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Arrhythmogenic effects of alcohol may be intermediated by its effects over heart rate variability (HRV). Most studies about the effects of alcohol over HRV were observational and did not explore the temporal influence of alcohol ingestion over autonomic modulation. The aim of this study was to verify if an acute ingestion of alcohol has a time-dependent influence over time-domain indices of HRV. The effect of the ingestion of 60g of ethanol or placebo over autonomic modulation was compared in healthy men (35 per group), with 18–25 years of age, before and during 17h after ingestion. Alcohol promoted a fall in the standard deviation of all normal R–R intervals, root mean square of successive differences, and percentage of pairs of adjacent R–R intervals differing by more tha... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470392 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4470392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841353&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001655%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study compared the effectiveness of 7-keto DHEA with DHEA for reducing ethanol intake in the same group of rats. The subjects, previously trained to drink ethanol using a saccharin-fading procedure, had access to ethanol for 30min daily and the amount consumed was recorded. Subjects were administered 10 and 56mg/kg of DHEA or 7-keto DHEA intraperitoneally 15min before drinking sessions. Subjects received each particular dose daily until one of two criteria was met, that is, either ethanol intake did not differ by more than 20% of the mean for 3 consecutive days or for a maximum of 8 days. Both 10 and 56mg/kg of 7-keto DHEA significantly reduced the dose of ethanol consumed. Although 10mg/kg of 7-keto DHEA produced decreases similar to those found with DHEA, the 56-mg/kg dose of 7-keto... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841353 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4841353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658311&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001667%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes We present a retrospective audit comparing the role of alcohol in maxillofacial trauma between Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham, United Kingdom and Westmead Hospital in Sydney, Australia, and the association between alcohol involvement and patient demographics, including age, sex, marital status, and employment status. Also presented are the differences between the two centers in terms of mechanisms and types of injuries and the locations where these injuries were sustained. Alcohol was involved in 34.78 and 30.77% of patients at Westmead and Birmingham, respectively. A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a reduced likelihood of alcohol involvement in episodes of maxillofacial trauma where patients were unemployed (P=.04), and where injuries were sustained secondary to mechanism... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658311 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4658311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658310&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001679%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Osteoporosis is frequent among alcoholics all by a direct effect of ethanol, malnutrition, and liver failure. Therefore, it may be related to survival. The aim of this study was to assess bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content, hormonal status, and to determine prognostic value of these parameters in a total of 124 alcoholics followed up for a median period of 57 months. Several bone homeostasis-related hormones were measured in patients and age- and sex-matched controls. Whole-body densitometry was performed by a Hologic QDR-2000 (Waltham, MA) densitometer; nutritional status and liver function were assessed. Sixty patients underwent a second evaluation 6 months later. Patients showed lower serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (median=58, interquartile range [IQR]=33–1... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658310 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4658310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4213968&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001680%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes It has been nearly four decades since and published their landmark articles reporting their observation of a constellation of identifiable birth defects in infants of women who drank alcohol heavily during pregnancy. They found that the combined presence of pre- and postnatal growth deficits, microcephaly (a proxy measure of central nervous system defects), and a pattern of subtle abnormalities in facial features were associated with heavy maternal alcohol use and was termed fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Although similar observations were published in French by ), the publications by and were central to bringing scientific and social attention to the potentially harmful effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4213968 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4213968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470397&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001448%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes In this study, we assessed whether short-term EtOH exposure could alter the hypothalamic glial to glial signaling components involved in prepubertal PGE2 secretion. Immature female rats began receiving control or EtOH diets beginning when 27 days old. The animals were killed by decapitation after 4 and 6 days of treatment and confirmed to be in the late juvenile stage of development. Blood and brain tissues were collected for gene, protein, and hormonal assessments. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis demonstrated that EtOH did not affect basal levels of erbB1 gene expression in the MBH. Expression of total erbB1 protein was also unaffected; however, the EtOH caused suppressed phosphorylation of erbB1 protein in the MBH at both 4 and 6 days (P (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470397 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4470397 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470395&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001461%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: A functional connection between the circadian timing system and alcohol consumption is suggested by multiple lines of converging evidence. Ethanol consumption perturbs physiological rhythms in hormone secretion, sleep, and body temperature; and conversely, genetic and environmental perturbations of the circadian system can alter alcohol intake. A fundamental property of the circadian pacemaker, the endogenous period of its cycle under free-running conditions, was previously shown to differ between selectively bred high- (HAP) and low- (LAP) alcohol preferring replicate 1 mice. To test whether there is a causal relationship between circadian period and ethanol intake, we induced experimental, rather than genetic, variations in free-running period. Male inbred C57Bl/6J mice and rep... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470395 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4470395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470394&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183291000162X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is abundant in the mammalian brain and plays a prominent role in behaviors related to negative affect and alcohol. NPY suppresses anxiety-like behavior and alcohol-drinking behaviors in a wide array of rodent models and also affects changes in these behaviors produced by fearful and stressful stimuli. Rats selectively bred for high alcohol preference (P rats) appear to be particularly sensitive to the behavioral effects of NPY. The dual purpose of the present investigation was to determine the effects of intraventricular NPY on (1) the acoustic startle response (ASR) of P rats in a high-anxiety setting and (2) social interaction behavior of P rats. In experiment 1, P rats were either cycled through periods of long-term ethanol access and abstinence or they re... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470394 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4470394 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294521&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001618%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Gender-related differential sensitivity to ethanol has long been recognized. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the zebrafish, an animal model used currently to study genetics and development related to a variety of human diseases, is also sensitive to pharmacologically relevant concentrations of ethanol. Sensitivity to ethanol in the zebrafish can be easily gauged with a simple nonintrusive behavioral test that measures ethanol-related alterations in schooling by determining the distance between each fish and its nearest neighbor. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of gender on the strain-specific ethanol sensitivity that we had observed previously. One hundred and sixty zebrafish of the wild-type (WT) and the long fin striped (LFS) strains were eq... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294521 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4294521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841360&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183291000114X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes In this study, we investigated the effects of low levels of ethanol on electrophysiological variables of jejunal epithelium of commercial broilers. Jejunal tissues from 35- to 39-day-old broilers were exposed to either 0 or 0.1% ethanol in Ussing chambers, and electrophysiological variables were monitored for 40min. After 40 and 60min of incubation, glucose (20mM) and carbamoylcholine (200μM), respectively, were introduced into the chambers. The absolute and percent increase in short-circuit current (Isc) and potential difference (Vt) induced by glucose were increased significantly with 0.1% ethanol. There was no significant effect of 0.1% ethanol on carbamoylcholine-induced electrophysiological variables. To investigate if higher levels of ethanol have similar effects, we tested the effe... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841360 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4841360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841354&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001473%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Experience with stress situations during early development can have long-lasting effects on stress- and anxiety-related behaviors. Importantly, this can also favor drug self-administration. These studies examined the effects of chronic social isolation and/or variable stress experiences during early development on subsequent voluntary ethanol intake in adult male and female C57BL/6J mice. The experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of chronic isolation between weaning and adulthood (Experiment 1), chronic isolation during adulthood (Experiment 2), and chronic variable stress (CVS) alone or in combination with chronic social isolation between weaning and adulthood (Experiment 3) on subsequent voluntary ethanol intake. Mice were born in our facility and were separated int... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841354 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4841354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470398&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001175%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study in peripubertal male rats compares the effect of the discontinuous feeding of a liquid diet containing a moderate amount of ethanol (6.2% wt/vol) to that of continuous ethanol administration or a control diet, taking as end points the 24-h variations of plasma prolactin levels and mitogenic responses and lymphocyte subset populations in submaxillary lymph nodes and spleen. Animals received the ethanol liquid diet starting on day 35 of life, the diet being similar to that given to controls except for that maltose was isocalorically replaced by ethanol. Ethanol provided 36% of the total caloric content. Every week, the discontinuous ethanol group received the ethanol diet for 3 days and the control liquid diet for the remaining 4 days. After 4 weeks, rats were killed at six time i... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470398 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4470398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470396&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001436%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The endocrine disruption associated with alcohol (ethanol) abuse in both males and females is widely recognized. Ethanol intoxication and withdrawal in males results in significant reductions in androgen levels. Less is known about female alcoholics, and because the changes in testosterone concentrations remain controversial, we systematically characterized changes in sex steroids after chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal in both sexes. Testosterone and 17β-estradiol concentrations were determined during chronic high intoxication, over a withdrawal time course, and following a period of abstinence using a genetic model of withdrawal vulnerability, the Withdrawal Seizure-Resistant (WSR) and -Prone (WSP) selected lines. In males, testosterone concentrations were significantly ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470396 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4470396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470391&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001114%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes In conclusion, heavy drinkers frequently show IgE reactivity to the N-glycans of wine glycoproteins. Glycans and wine glycoprotein extracts can induce basophil activation in sensitized alcoholics. The clinical significance of these findings remains to be elucidated. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470391 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4470391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470390&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001102%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study included 7,195 episodes of AWS in a defined community (Galicia, Spain) over a 11-year period. We looked for geographical correlations between AWS rate and sociodemographic factors (education and socioeconomic levels and rates of occupational activity and unemployment) within respective districts. We also investigated the inter- and intra-annual time trends for AWS. The median age of the participants was 49 years (interquartile range, 41–60 years), and 85% were men. The annual frequency of AWS episodes remained stable during the study period, with a consistent peak in episodes during the summer months and lowest frequency of episodes in winter months (P (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470390 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4470390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294529&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001151%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study estimated the association of cultural and social mechanisms with Korean American women’s drinking behaviors. Data were drawn from telephone interviews with 591 Korean women selected from a random sample of households in California with Korean surnames during 2007. About 62% of eligible respondents completed the interview. Respondents reported any lifetime drinking (yes/no), drinking volume (typical number of drinks consumed on drinking days), level of acculturation, and described their social network by assessing who encouraged or discouraged drinking (drinking support) or drank (drinking models). Multivariable regressions were used for analyses. About 70% (95% confidence interval [95%CI]:, 67, 74) of Korean American women reported any lifetime drinking and current drinkers dr... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294529 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4294529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294528&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001163%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: To validate the induction of blood lymphocyte cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) expression in alcoholic liver cirrhosis and mRNA and protein expression of CYP2E1 in freshly prepared blood lymphocytes of alcoholic liver cirrhotic (ACP), nonalcoholic cirrhotic patients (NACP), alcoholic controls (ACs), and nonalcoholic controls (NACs) were investigated. Registered ACP and NACP patients at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Science, Lucknow, India along with NACs and ACs were included in the study. Real time polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and CYP2E1-dependent enzyme activity were determined in blood lymphocytes isolated from cases and controls. Significant increases in CYP2E1 mRNA and protein expression were observed in freshly prepared blood l... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294528 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4294528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294523&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001084%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Drinking to intoxication or binge drinking is a hallmark characteristic of alcohol abuse. Although hard to model in rodents, the scheduled high alcohol consumption (SHAC) procedure generates high, stable ethanol intake and blood ethanol concentrations in mice to levels consistent with definitions of binge drinking. The purpose of the present studies was to determine the effects of pharmacological manipulation of the opioidergic, glutamatergic, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic systems on binge drinking with the SHAC procedure. Parallel manipulations were conducted in mice trained in operant self-administration of either sucrose or ethanol. For the SHAC procedure, genetically heterogeneous Withdrawal Seizure Control mice were given varying periods of fluid access, with a 30-min... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294523 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4294523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294522&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001096%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Serotonin 1B (5-HT1B) heteroreceptors on nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) projection neurons have been shown to enhance the voluntary consumption of alcohol by rats, presumably by modulating the activity of the mesolimbic reward pathway. The present study examined whether increasing 5-HT1B receptors expressed on NAcSh projection neurons by means of virus-mediated gene transfer enhances ethanol consumption during the initiation or maintenance phase of drinking and alters the temporal pattern of drinking behavior. Animals received stereotaxic injections of viral vectors expressing either 5-HT1B receptor and green fluorescent protein (GFP) or GFP alone. Home cages equipped with a three-bottle (water and 6 and 12% ethanol) lickometer system recorded animals’ drinking behaviors conti... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294522 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4294522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294520&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001400%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are frequently used in studies on cytokine production in response to treatment of cell cultures or laboratory animals. When an ELISA assay is performed on cell culture supernatants, samples often contain the treatment agents. The purpose of the present study was to determine if some of the agents evaluated might inhibit cytokine detection by interfering with the ELISA, leaving the question of whether cytokine production was inhibited unanswered. Mouse and human cytokine ELISA kits from BD Biosciences were used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Cytokine proteins were subjected to one to five carbon alcohols at 86.8mM (methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, n-butanol, and n-pentanol). After treating cell cultures with al... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294520 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4294520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658312&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001138%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: A relevant number of trauma patients are intoxicated with alcohol at admission in trauma centers. Meanwhile, some studies provide data suggesting a profound influence of ethanol on the posttraumatic clinical course; others could not confirm these findings. Knowledge of the influence of ethanol in a multiple trauma cohort is lacking. Therefore, we performed a retrospective outcome study of initially intoxicated multiple trauma patients in a German level-1 trauma center. Patients with an Injury Severity Score greater than or equal to 16 and aged 16–65 years were included in our study. Ventilation time, duration of intensive care unit treatment, the course of cytokines, and the incidence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, and multiple organ dysfunction synd... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658312 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4658312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658307&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001424%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Alcohol abuse is recognized as a major health issue, and early detection of alcohol abuse is very important. The alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) has been widely used as a specific tool for its detection. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of Japanese male workers to validate the Japanese version of this test. The Japanese version of AUDIT also contains 10 questions. A score greater than or equal to 11 was considered as indicative of serious alcohol abuse or dependence. A total of 168 subjects took part in the survey, and 145 of these subjects sent in their responses to the questionnaire. Among these 145 subjects, there were 136 men. The average age of these male subjects was 38.2 years (±9.9). Among the 136 male subjects, 113 returned completely filled-in qu... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658307 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4658307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972870&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000820%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes In conclusion, hyperlactinemia, hypokalemia, and glucose levels above of reference value are common biochemical findings in children hospitalized with acute AAI. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972870 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3972870 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972869&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000844%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Alcohol abuse, known for promoting apoptosis in the liver and nervous system, is a major public health concern. Despite significant morbidity and mortality resulting from ethanol consumption, the precise cellular mechanism of its toxicity remains unknown. Previous work has shown that wild-type Bcl-2 is protective against ethanol. The present study investigated whether protection from ethanol toxicity involves mitochondrial Bcl-2 or endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Bcl-2, and whether mitochondria-associated or ER-associated caspases are involved in ethanol toxicity. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO695) cells were transiently transfected with cDNA constructs encoding wild-type Bcl-2, mitochondria-targeted Bcl-2, or ER-targeted Bcl-2. MTT assay was used to measure cell viability in response to ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972869 Sun, 22 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3972869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972868&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000832%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) catalyzes oxidation of ingested ethanol to acetaldehyde, the first step in hepatic metabolism. The purpose of this study was to establish an ex vivo rat liver perfusion system under defined and verified steady states with respect to the metabolites and the metabolic rates, and to quantitatively correlate the observed rates with simulations based on the kinetic mechanism-based rate equations of rat liver ADH. Class I ADH1 was isolated from male Sprague–Dawley rats and characterized by steady-state kinetics in the Krebs–Ringer perfusion buffer with supplements. Nonrecirculating liver perfusion with constant input of ethanol at near physiological hepatic blood flow rate was performed in situ. Ethanol and the related metabolites acetaldehyde, acetate, ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972868 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3972868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972865&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001060%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Ethanol ingestion is well known to induce morphological and biochemical changes in intestine and is responsible for intestinal dysfunctions. Luminal surface of enterocytes is rich in glycolipids, but the effects of ethanol ingestion on membrane glycolipids are not well characterized. In the present study, rats were given 1mL of 30% ethanol daily for 15, 25, 35, and 56 days. Ethanol feeding for 15 days did not affect glycolipid pattern in microvillus membranes, but the levels of cerebrosides (glucosylceramide, lactosylceramide, globotriasyloceramide) were enhanced in rats fed with ethanol for 35 or 56 days compared with controls. In contrast, the content of fucolipids and gangliosides was reduced in rats on ethanol ingestion for 35 or 56 days. The observed changes in membrane glyc... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972865 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3972865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470399&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000868%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) are nonoxidative metabolites of ethanol, and elevated levels of FAEE in meconium are a useful biomarker for heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. FAEE in meconium has been recommended as useful and cost-effective for universal screening for prenatal alcohol exposure. To support an efficient universal screening program, an analytical method to detect and quantify FAEE in meconium needs to be accurate, inexpensive, and rapid. The purpose of this study was to develop an analytical method that would satisfy these criteria and to validate this method using established laboratory guidelines. A method was developed and validated to detect and quantify four FAEEs (ethyl palmitate, ethyl linoleate, ethyl oleate, and ethyl stearate) from 0.5g of meconium using d5... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470399 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4470399 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294526&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183291000087X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: C57BL/6J (B6) mice are susceptible to in utero growth retardation and a number of morphological malformations following prenatal alcohol exposure, while DBA/2J (D2) mice are relatively resistant. We have previously shown that genomic imprinting may play a role in differential sensitivity between B6 and D2. The best-characterized mechanism mediating genomic imprinting is differential DNA methylation. In the present study we examined DNA methylation and gene expression, in both embryonic and placental tissue, at the mouse Igf2 locus following in utero ethanol exposure. We also examined the effects of a methyl-supplemented diet on methylation and ethanol teratogenesis. In embryos from susceptible B6 mice, we found small decreases in DNA methylation at four CpG sites in one of the di... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294526 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4294526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294525&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000650%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Prenatal alcohol exposure is a leading cause of childhood neurodevelopmental disability. The adverse behavioral effects of alcohol exposure during the second and third trimester are well documented; less clear is whether early first trimester-equivalent exposures also alter behavior. We investigated this question using an established chick model of alcohol exposure. In ovo embryos experienced a single, acute ethanol exposure that spanned gastrulation through neuroectoderm induction and early brain patterning (19–22h incubation). At 7 days posthatch, the chicks were evaluated for reflexive motor function (wingflap extension, righting reflex), fearfulness (tonic immobility [TI]), and fear/social reinstatement (open-field behavior). Chicks exposed to a peak ethanol level of 0.23�... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294525 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4294525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972867&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000674%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The relationship between ethanol-induced oxidative stress and acetylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 (H3AcK9) remains unknown and was therefore investigated in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. Cells were treated with ethanol, and a select group of pharmacological agents and the status of H3AcK9 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were monitored. Pretreatment of hepatocytes with N-acetyl cystein (ROS reducer), or dietary antioxidants (quercetin, reserveratrol), or NADPH (reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) oxidase inhibitor apocynin, significantly reduced ethanol (50 mM, 24 h) induced increases in ROS and H3AcK9. In contrast, l-buthionine sulfoximine (ROS inducer) and inhibitor of mitochondrial complexes I (rotenone) and III (antimycin) increased ethanol-induced ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972867 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3972867 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972866&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000856%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes In this study, we test the hypothesis that exercise training can protect the aging liver against alcohol-induced oxidative damage. Two different age groups of Wistar albino rats (3 months young, n=24; 18 months old, n=24) were evenly divided into four groups: control (Con), exercise trained (Tr, 23m/min 30min/day, 5 days/week for 2 months), ethanol drinking/treated (Et, 2.0g/kg b.w. orally), and exercise training plus ethanol drinking/treated (Tr+Et). We found significantly (P (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972866 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3972866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972862&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000819%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Depressive symptoms in alcohol-dependent individuals are well-recognized and clinically relevant phenomena. The etiology has not been elucidated although it is clear that the depressive symptoms may be alcohol independent or alcohol induced. To contribute to the understanding of the neurobiology of chronic ethanol use, we investigated the effects of chronic intermittent ethanol vapor exposure on behaviors in the forced swim test (FST) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) levels in specific brain regions. Adult male Wistar rats were subjected to intermittent ethanol vapor (14h on/10h off) or air exposure for 2 weeks and were then tested at three time points corresponding to acute withdrawal (8–12h into withdrawal) and protracted withdrawal (30 and 60... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972862 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3972862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972861&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000790%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The high and low alcohol-drinking (HAD and LAD) rats were selectively bred for differences in alcohol intake. The HAD/LAD rats originated from the N/Nih heterogeneous stock developed from intercrossing eight inbred rat strains. The HAD×LAD F2 were genotyped, and a powerful analytical approach, using ancestral recombination and F2 recombination, was used to narrow a quantitative trait loci (QTL) for alcohol drinking to a 2-cM region on distal chromosome 10 that was in common in the HAD1/LAD1 and HAD2/LAD2 analyses. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to examine mRNA expression of six candidate genes (Crebbp, Trap1, Gnptg, Clcn7, Fahd1, and Mapk8ip3) located within the narrowed QTL region in the HAD1/LAD1 rats. Expression was examined in five brain regions, including the nucleus a... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972861 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3972861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924808&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000807%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes The objective of the study was to understand the mechanism of elevated serum TSA concentration during alcohol abuse. Additionally, the association of LSA with serum lipid profile was tested. For this purpose, the levels of LSA, TSA, lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins (apos) in the sera of 106 alcoholics were measured. The serum level of LSA in alcohol abusers was significantly elevated. This increase was because of the elevated level of LSA in patients drinking alcohol up to 2 days before sampling. The elevated level of LSA positively correlated with TSA, and also with biochemical indices of hepatocellular injury such as aspartate aminotransferase and γ-glutamyltransferase, but did not correlate with any lipids, apos, and lipoproteins. The increase in LSA level is not related with ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924808 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3924808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924809&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910001059%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The aims of this study were to study suicide rates in youths aged 15–29 years in the European Union (EU), to identify differences between early members and new members to the EU since 2004, and to evaluate the association between alcohol-related variables and suicide rates, while controlling for indicators of social stress. We explored temporal trends in age-adjusted suicide rates for youths aged 15–29 years resident in EU nations since 1980. Social changes in EU nations were associated with increased inequalities between the countries in suicide, especially in male youths (new/early EU members: relative risk=1.55; 95% confidence interval: 1.48/1.61). Pure alcohol consumption predicts suicide rates in female youths, whereas social stress related to violence against youths pre... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924809 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3924809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972864&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000418%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study supports that the bloodstream is likely to display a major role in the hair EtG incorporation. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972864 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3972864 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924807&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000443%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Alcohol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are noxious agents that can disrupt the integrity of the gastroduodenal mucosal and damage the epithelial barrier and lead to increased gastroduodenal permeability. Moreover, it is not uncommon that patients are exposed to these two barrier stressors at the same time. It is thus important to know how simultaneous exposure affects the gastroduodenal barrier, and acquiring that knowledge was the goal of this study. We used a method that has been widely used for the assessment of injury to the gastroduodenal barrier induced by these noxious agents—measurement of gastroduodenal permeability as indicated by urinary excretion of ingested sucrose. We used gas chromatography to measure the amount of sucrose excreted in the urine over the... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924807 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3924807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924802&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000480%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: A serotonin deficiency state has been implicated in alcohol-dependent individuals' experience of obsessive–compulsive alcohol craving. Because the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) functions to remove serotonin from the synapse, it is thought that increased reuptake (indicated by the number of high-expressing LA alleles present in the 5-HTT gene-linked polymorphic region [5-HTTLPR] of the SLC6A4 gene) is associated with an increase in obsessive–compulsive alcohol craving. The current pilot investigation sought to explore this hypothesis by examining the extent to which obsessive–compulsive alcohol craving varies by 5-HTTLPR genotype among participants enrolled in an ongoing pharmacogenetics trial. All participants were screened with a semi-structured diagnostic interview, compl... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924802 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3924802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845051&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183291000039X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The present experiment assessed motor response programming and movement time in children with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (PEA). Alcohol-exposed children between the ages of 7 and 17 years were classified into two groups: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS: n=9) and children with PEA (PEA: n=19) but who did not have the defining characteristics of FAS. The FAS and PEA children were compared with non–alcohol-exposed children (NC: n=23) when completing two tasks: a simple reaction time task (RT alone condition) and a reaction plus movement task (RT+Move condition). The movement involved responding to an imperative stimulus signal and depressing three target buttons in a set sequence. Participants completed 24 trials each for the RT alone and RT+Move response conditions.... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845051 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3845051 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845050&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000339%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Binge-level doses of ethanol have been demonstrated to severely disrupt the cerebellum and cerebellum-dependent tasks when administered to rodent subjects during the early postnatal period. N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor-mediated excitotoxicity associated with ethanol withdrawal has been implicated as a significant component contributing to neurotoxic effects resulting from early ethanol exposure, and studies using MK-801 (dizocilpine) have reported protection from ethanol-induced damage. The present study examined whether the administration of MK-801 during ethanol withdrawal would ameliorate ethanol-associated cell death in the interpositus nucleus of the cerebellum and behavioral deficits in a cerebellar dependent task. Long Evans rat pups were treated with ethanol (... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845050 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3845050 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845047&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000273%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes The objective of the present study was to characterize EROs in adult P and NP rats. A time-frequency representation method was used to determine delta, theta, and alpha/beta ERO energy and the degree of phase variation in the parietal cortex of adult P and NP rats. The present results suggest that the decrease in P3 amplitudes previously shown in P rats were not associated with changes in ERO energy but were significantly associated with decreases in evoked delta and alpha/beta phase locking. These studies demonstrate ERO measures may also be good endophenotypes in animal models of alcoholism. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845047 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3845047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294527&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000613%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The biology of placental and fetal development suggests that alcohol may play a significant role in increasing the risk of feto-infant morbidity and mortality, but study results are inconsistent and the mechanism remains poorly defined. Previous studies have not examined the risk of placenta-associated syndromes (PASs: defined as the occurrence of either placental abruption, placenta previa, preeclampsia, small for gestational age, preterm, or stillbirth) as a unique entity. Therefore, we sought to examine the relationship between prenatal alcohol use and the risk of PAS among singleton births in the Missouri maternally linked data files covering the period 1989–2005. Logistic regression with adjustment for intracluster correlation was used to generate adjusted odds ratios (ORs... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294527 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4294527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924804&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000662%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study may be useful in epidemiological studies of the influence of ADH1B, ALDH2, CYP2E1*6, and CYP2E1*7B polymorphisms on diseases, including several types of cancer related to alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924804 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3924804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924803&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000625%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Knowledge of alcohol use disorder and of substance-related problems has recently found some initial support in genetic studies. With a view to further understanding of this particular aspect, in the light of the “self-medication hypothesis,” we focused our attention on the gamma aminobutyric acid system and, in particular, on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the glutamate decarboxylase 67 or glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) gene region in association with alcohol dependence. The research was structured as a case–control study. The patient cohort included 283 Caucasian males from the Veneto region, North-east Italy; 107 were alcohol dependent according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV TR) criteria, and 176 were controls recr... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924803 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3924803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4213974&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000315%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes The objective of this study was to determine, in a population-based sample, whether high-risk pregnancies are associated with an increased risk of in utero alcohol exposure. Grey-Bruce residents transferred to the high-risk obstetric unit of St. Joseph's Health Care in London, Ontario were identified and consented to this anonymous prevalence study. Meconium was collected and analyzed for FAEE using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. The prevalence of FAEE positive meconium was compared with the population-based prevalence in the Grey-Bruce. Fifty meconium specimens were collected from August 1, 2006 to July 31, 2007. Fifteen (30%) specimens tested positive for FAEE. The results indicate that infants born in the high-risk obstetric unit had a 12-fold higher risk of screening positi... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4213974 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4213974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4213972&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183291000025X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) hair test, a biomarker of excessive alcohol exposure, has demonstrated its potential for use in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) diagnosis. FASD may be compounded by polydrug exposure. Our objective was to determine the likelihood of positive FAEE test among parents testing positive for other drugs of abuse. Samples submitted for FAEE hair analysis by Children's Aid Societies between October 2005 and May 2007, also concurrently tested for cocaine, cannabinoids, opiates, methamphetamine, amphetamine, benzodiazepines, methadone, and/or oxycodone, were included in our analysis. Subjects consisted of parents suspected of using excessive amounts of alcohol. Parents testing positive for drugs of abuse had a significantly increased risk for test... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4213972 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4213972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4213981&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000467%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is a derivative of the amino acid l-cysteine, which, previously, has been shown to protect against ethanol-induced apoptosis during early development. Ongoing research demonstrates that NAC is also proving clinically beneficial in reducing oxidative stress–mediated lung, liver, and kidney damage, with protection likely resulting from a NAC-mediated increase in glutathione levels. In the present study, the hypothesis that coadministration of NAC and ethanol by means of liquid diet on days 7 and 8 of pregnancy in mice would reduce ethanol's teratogenicity was tested. For this work, adult nonpregnant female mice were acclimated to a liquid diet containing ethanol for 16 days, withdrawn from the ethanol, bred, and then returned to the liquid diet containing 4... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4213981 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4213981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972863&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000455%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Molecular mechanisms accompanying ethanol-induced cytotoxicity remain to be defined. The renin–angiotensin system with its respective receptors, the angiotensin AT1 and AT2 receptor (AT1R and AT2R), has been implicated in these processes. The AT2R seems to counteract the pro-inflammatory, pro-hypertrophic, and pro-fibrotic actions of the AT1R and is involved in cellular differentiation and tissue repair. Recently, we identified poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) as a novel negative transcriptional regulator of the AT2R. However, the complex interactions between ethanol, PARP-1, and the AT2R are largely unknown. In this in vitro study, we aimed to clarify whether acute ethanol treatment modifies AT2R promoter activity or AT2R mRNA and protein levels and whether PARP-1 is inv... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972863 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3972863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924806&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000431%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study investigated regional cerebral flood flow (CBF) in chronic alcoholic patients, focusing primarily on the limbic system, including the hippocampus and the callosomarginal region, because of their susceptibility to damage in such patients. The degree of hippocampal atrophy in such patients was also examined. Regional CBF and the degree of parahippocampal gyrus atrophy were studied in 22 chronic alcoholic male patients with no neurological or psychological symptom (mean age, 59.3±4.1 years). Their findings were compared with those of 22 age-matched, male, normal controls (mean age, 59.7±3.9 years). Single-photon emission computed tomography was performed using the 99mTc-ethylcysteinate dimer ( 99mTc-ECD) Patlak Plot method, and the three-dimensional stereotaxic region of interes... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924806 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3924806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924805&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000492%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes In this study, we have identified a total of 203 nsSNPs in 29 human alcohol metabolism-related genes from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) dbSNP and SWISS-Prot databases. Using the PolyPhen and SIFT algorithms, 43% of nsSNPs in alcohol metabolism-related genes were predicted to have functional impacts on protein function with a significant concordance of the prediction results between the two algorithms. The prediction accuracy is about 77–81% of all the nsSNPs based on the results of in vivo and in vitro studies. These amino acid substitutions are supposed to be the pathogenetic basis for the alteration of metabolism enzyme activity and the association with disease susceptivity. The phenotype of nsSNPs predicted as deleterious needs to be clarified in further stu... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924805 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3924805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924801&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000479%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes In this study, alcohol was administered intravenously to study whether its effects on mood should preferably be studied as a bi- or unipolar phenomenon. This was studied in a double-blind, placebo-balanced, design on six healthy male volunteers. Of the three bipolar aspects of mood (calmness, activity, and pleasantness), only calmness was significantly affected by intravenous alcohol. In contrast, there were significant differences between alcohol and placebo for five of the six unipolar indexes. This support the hypothesis that subjective effects of alcohol on mood are preferably studied with self-ratings that allows positive and negative aspects to be analyzed separately. Further, our data suggest that the effects of alcohol are primarily on negative aspects of mood rather than on positi... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924801 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3924801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845046&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183291000042X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: To investigate mechanisms in outbred animals that increase the propensity to consume ethanol, it is important to identify and characterize these animals before or at early stages in their exposure to ethanol. In the present study, different measures were examined in adult Sprague–Dawley rats to determine whether they can predict long-term propensity to overconsume ethanol. Before consuming 9% ethanol with a two-bottle choice paradigm, rats were examined with the commonly used behavioral measures of novelty-induced locomotor activity and anxiety, as assessed during 15min in an open-field activity chamber. Two additional measures, intake of a low 2% ethanol concentration or circulating triglyceride (TG) levels after a meal, were also examined with respect to their ability to pred... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845046 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3845046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845049&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000352%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Numerous methods like distillation followed by iodometric titrations, gas chromatograph (GC)–flame ionization detector, gas chromatograph–mass spectrophotometer, GC-Headspace, Breath analyzer, and biosensors including alcohol dehydrogenase (enzymatic) have been used to determine blood alcohol concentration (BAC). In the present study, horizontal attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy had been used to determine BAC in whole blood. The asymmetric stretching frequency of C–C–O group of ethanol in water (1,045cm−1) had been used to calculate BAC using Beer's Law. A seven-point calibration curve of ethanol was drawn in the concentration range 24–790mg dL−1. The curve showed good linearity over the concentration range used (r2=0.999, standa... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845049 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3845049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4213978&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000406%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study explored novel analyses to quantify the effect of a known dose of alcohol on specific facial measurements in substrains C57BL/B6J (B6J) and C57BL/6NHsd (B6N) mice. Mouse dams were provided alcohol (Alc) consisting of 4.8% (vol/vol) alcohol in a liquid diet for 16 days prepregnancy and chow and water diet during mating, and then the alcohol liquid diet was reinstated on gestational days 7 (E7) to gestational day 17 (E17). Treatment controls included a pair-fed (PF) group given matched volumes of an alcohol-free liquid diet made isocalorically and a group given ad lib access to lab chow and water (Chow). Maternal diet intake (Alc and PF), blood alcohol concentrations (BACs), embryo weights, and 15 morphometric facial measurements for E17 embryos were analyzed. B6N dams drank more ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4213978 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4213978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845048&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000224%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Although alcohol is known to inhibit platelet aggregation, and transplasmalemmal Ca2+ entry is profoundly involved in platelet aggregation, there has been limited knowledge about the relationship between alcohol and Ca2+ entry. The purpose of this study was to determine whether and how ethanol in vitro affects Ca2+ entry through different pathways and the subsequent aggregation of platelets. Thapsigargin, 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG), and thrombin were used to stimulate human platelets. Ca2+ entry and the subsequent aggregatory responses of platelets were measured by spectrofluorometry using fura-2/AM as an indicator and the light transmission method, respectively. Thapsigargin-induced Ca2+ entry and the following platelet aggregation were significantly inhibited by ethano... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845048 Mon, 31 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3845048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845045&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000297%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Drink tests involving 14 women were carried out to determine the effects of the menstrual cycle phases on the pharmacokinetics of ethanol. One experiment was carried out in the follicular phase of the cycle and another in the luteal phase, with the estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone levels being determined in both cases. The target concentration was a final blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of approximately 0.08g%. After drinking was completed, concurrent BAC and breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) measurements were carried out at intervals of 10–20min. The ethanol elimination rate was determined by calculating a linear function in the part of the slope that was clearly linear. In addition, the c0 and Widmark factors r were calculated.In 10 of the volunteers, who had a n... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845045 Sun, 30 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3845045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845044&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000212%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Acute alcohol consumption increases ratings of attractiveness to faces. This may help to explain increased frequencies of sexual encounters during periods of alcohol intoxication. At least in part, such increased attraction may be the result of alcohol consumption decreasing ability to detect bilateral asymmetry, presumably because of the reductions in the levels of visual function. We tested the hypotheses that acute alcohol consumption decreases ability to detect asymmetry in faces and reduces preference for symmetrical faces over asymmetrical faces. Twenty images of a pair of faces and then 20 images of a single face were displayed on a computer, one at a time. Participants were instructed to state which face of each of the face pairs displayed was most attractive and then whe... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845044 Sun, 30 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3845044 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845043&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000285%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence rates of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition 12-month diagnoses of alcohol use disorders between the United States and South Korea using two large nationally representative surveys. Cross-tabulations were used to derive weighted prevalences of alcohol abuse and dependence, and odds ratio derived from linear logistic regression analyses were used to determine the relationships between alcohol abuse and dependence across sociodemographic characteristics of the general population samples. The prevalence of 12-month alcohol abuse was greater in the United States (5.3%) than Korea (2.0%), whereas the rate of alcohol dependence was greater in Korea (5.1%) compared with the United States (4.4%). Th... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845043 Sun, 30 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3845043 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640903&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000303%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study failed to detect significant associations of the IL-10 −627C>A SNP and alcoholism or alcoholic liver disease in a cohort of Caucasian male Spaniards. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640903 Sun, 30 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3640903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640912&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000194%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes The objective of this study was to further characterize the effect of ethanol on LTP in the developing CA1 hippocampus during the third trimester equivalent. To more closely model human ethanol exposure during this period, rat pups were exposed to ethanol vapor (2 or 4.5g/dL in air, serum ethanol concentrations=96.6–147.2 or 322–395.6mg/dL) from P2–9 (4h/d). Brain slices were prepared immediately after the end of the 4-h exposure on P7–9 and extracellular electrophysiological recordings were performed 1–7h later under ethanol-free conditions to model early withdrawal. LTP was not different than group-matched controls in the 96.6–147.2mg/dL group; however, it was impaired in the 322–395.6mg/dL group. Neither α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate receptor (AMPAR)/... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640912 Thu, 20 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3640912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640911&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000236%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Previous research on the honeybee ethanol model established how acute ethanol exposure altered function at different levels of organization: behavior and learning, ecology, and physiology. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether ethanol doses that affect honeybee behavior also induce a significant stress response, measured by heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) concentrations, in honeybee brain tissues. Experiment 1 examined how pretreatment handling influenced brain HSP70 concentrations in three pretreatment groups of bees; immediately after being collected, after being harnessed and fed, and after 22–24h in a harness. HSP70 concentrations did not differ among pretreatment groups within replicates, although we observed significantly different HSP70 concentrations between t... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640911 Thu, 20 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3640911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640906&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000200%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Several lines of evidence implicate reciprocal interactions between excessive alcohol (ethanol) intake and dysregulation of circadian biological rhythms. Thus, chronic alcohol intake leads to widespread circadian disruption in both humans and experimental animals, while in turn, chronobiological disruption has been hypothesized to promote or sustain excessive alcohol intake. Nevertheless, the effects of circadian disruption on voluntary ethanol intake have not been investigated extensively, and prior studies have reported both increased and decreased ethanol intake in rats maintained under “shift-lag” lighting regimens mimicking those experienced by shift workers and transmeridian travelers. In the present study, male and female inbred Fischer and Lewis rats were housed in ru... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640906 Thu, 20 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3640906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640910&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000388%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Clinical evidence often points to stress as a cause or an antecedent to the development of drinking problems. Yet, animal models of alcohol drinking have yielded inconsistent evidence for a direct contribution of stress, and many studies have shown that stress suppresses alcohol consumption. The aim of the present study was to examine alcohol reward in animals exposed to repeated, mild social stress, and to determine whether alcohol drinking changes as a function of the temporal parameters of alcohol access relative to the stressor. Male Long-Evans rats, trained to self-administer a 6% (wt/vol) alcohol solution using a sucrose-fading procedure, were exposed to five brief (5min) episodes of contact with an aggressive male. Full contact with the resident was limited to a single epi... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640910 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3640910 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640909&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000327%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Microdialysis experiments in alcohol-preferring (P) rats have shown that chronic ethanol exposure increases extracellular levels of dopamine (DA) in the nucleus accumbens. Because DA neuronal activity contributes to the regulation of DA overflow in terminal regions, we hypothesized that posterior ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neuronal activity (firing frequency, burst activity, and/or the number of spontaneously active DA neurons) would be increased in P rats consuming ethanol compared with P rats consuming only water. In vivo electrophysiological techniques were used to evaluate the activity of single DA neurons in the posterior VTA. Our findings show that voluntary ethanol intake by nondependent P rats significantly increased the number of spontaneously active DA neurons in t... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640909 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3640909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640908&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000340%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes The objective of this study was to determine the involvement of 5-HT3 receptors within the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in regulating ethanol self-administration by alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Standard two-lever operant chambers (Coulbourn Instruments, Allentown, PA) were used to examine the effects of seven consecutive bilateral microinfusions of ICS 205-930 (ICS), a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, directly into the posterior VTA on the acquisition and maintenance of 15% (vol/vol) ethanol self-administration. P rats readily acquired ethanol self-administration by the fourth session. The three highest doses (0.125, 0.25, and 1.25μg) of ICS prevented acquisition of ethanol self-administration. During the acquisition postinjection period, all rats treated with ICS demonstrated higher responding... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640908 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3640908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640907&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000376%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Alcohol withdrawal is associated with affective–behavioral disturbances in both human alcoholics and in animal models. In general, these phenomena are potentiated by increased alcohol exposure duration and by prior withdrawal episodes. Previous studies have also reported locomotor hypoactivity during ethanol withdrawal in rats and mice, but only in novel test environments and not in the home cage. In the present study, we examined the effects of withdrawal from chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor exposure on the level and circadian periodicity of wheel-running activity in C57BL/6J mice. CIE treatment resulted in reductions in wheel-running activity compared with plain-air controls that persisted for about 1 week after withdrawal. Analysis of circadian waveforms indicated t... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640907 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3640907 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640905&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000248%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Alcohol consumption is a potential trigger for flare in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flare because of alcohol's pro-oxidant effects and its deleterious effects on gut barrier function. The association with alcohol consumption and IBD flare is unclear. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the pattern of alcohol consumption and its self-reported effect on gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in patients with IBD. We recruited 129 consecutive patients: 52 patients with Crohn's disease, 38 patients with ulcerative colitis, and 39 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). All the participants completed a validated questionnaire on disease activity (the Crohn's disease activity index or ulcerative colitis clinical activity index, respectively) validated questionnaires to quantify al... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640905 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3640905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640904&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000364%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: There has been a gradual increase in the number of patients with end-stage alcoholic liver disease (ALD) undergoing liver transplantation (LT) in mainland China. However, few studies have focused on the post-transplant outcomes of this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of LT in patients with ALD, mainly focusing on survival rates, complications, and alcohol recidivism. The results were retrospectively analyzed from 20 patients, who underwent LT for ALD from December 2003 to September 2007 at Liver Transplant Center of Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates of the ALD group and non-ALD group were 90.0, 80.0, 80.0% and 90.3, 84.7, 79.8%, respectively. There was no significant difference in 1-, 2-, and ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640904 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3640904 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640902&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000261%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Relapse to hazardous levels of alcohol consumption after treatment for alcohol use disorders is common. Investigation of the neurobiological correlates of resumption of hazardous drinking is necessary to clarify the mechanisms contributing to relapse. Fifty-seven treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent participants (ALC) completed arterial spin labeling perfusion MRI of the frontal and parietal gray matter (GM) at 7±3 days of abstinence (baseline). ALC participants were restudied after 35±11 days of abstinence (assessment point 2: AP2). Twenty-eight nonsmoking, light-drinking control participants (nsLD) from the community were studied with perfusion MRI. ALC participants were followed over 12 months after baseline study and were classified as abstainers (no alcohol consumption; n=1... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640902 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3640902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322297&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000108%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322297 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3322297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322291&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832910000029%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes We examined the possible expression of this subtype in present day alcohol-dependent women. Detailed systematic assessment was obtained from 200 treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent women and 189 healthy population controls. Women fulfilling type II alcoholism criteria had higher alcoholism severity as measured by The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and markedly higher use of illicit drugs. Both alcoholism subtypes scored higher than normal on anxiety and impulsivity traits, but type II women scored markedly higher on aggression subscales than either of the other groups. Importantly, density of family history was markedly higher in type II women, suggesting a higher heritability. Despite its original description as male limited, early onset alcoholism with high density of family h... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322291 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3322291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322295&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183290900233X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes The objective of this study was to determine time-course changes in gene expression within two regions of the extended amygdala after binge-like alcohol drinking by alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Adult male P rats were given 1-h access to 15 and 30% ethanol three times daily for 8 weeks. Rats (n = 10/time point for ethanol and n = 6/time point for water) were killed by decapitation 1, 6, and 24 h after the last drinking episode. RNA was prepared from individual micropunch samples of the nucleus accumbens shell (ACB-shell) and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA); analyses were conducted with Affymetrix Rat Genome 230.2 GeneChips. Ethanol intakes were 1.5–2 g/kg for each of the three sessions. There were no genes that were statistically different between the ethanol and water control group... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322295 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3322295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322294&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909002171%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The importance of ethanol metabolism in the development of alcoholic liver disease remains controversial. The present study examined the effects of selective inhibition of the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2E1 compared with the inhibition of overall ethanol metabolism on the development of alcoholic steatohepatitis. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were fed via total enteral nutrition for 45 days with or without 10–12g/kg/d ethanol. Some groups were given 200mg/kg/d of the CYP2E1 inhibitor diallyl sulfide (DAS). Other groups were treated with 164mg/kg/d of the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) inhibitor 4-methylpyrazole (4-MP) and dosed at 2–3g/kg/d ethanol to maintain similar average urine ethanol concentrations. Liver pathology scores and levels of apoptosis were elevated by ethanol ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322294 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3322294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322293&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909002183%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Alcohol abuse is an important public health problem. In Portugal with a population of 10 millions of inhabitants, there are around 10% of alcoholics or excessive alcohol drinkers and 1% of chronically infected patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV). To examine the characteristics of patients with higher levels of alcohol consumption and to investigate the association between alcohol consumption and liver damage a total of 298 chronically infected individuals, with HBV genotyped and submitted to liver biopsy, were classified with Child's grading and separated by habits of alcohol intake, less and greater than 20g/day. No significant differences were observed about genotype but genotypes A and D were predominant in both of them. A higher percentage of males (P (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322293 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3322293 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322296&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001943%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) often exhibit sensorimotor dysfunctions that include deficits in motor coordination and fine motor control. Although the underlying causes for these motor abnormalities are unknown, they likely involve interactions between sensory and motor systems. Rodent animal models have been used to study the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on skilled reaching and on the development and organization of somatosensory barrel field cortex. To this end, PAE delayed the development of somatosensory cortex, reduced the size of whisker and forelimb representations in somatosensory barrel field cortex, and delayed acquisition time to learn a skilled reaching task. However, whether PAE also affects the motor cortex (MI) remains to be det... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322296 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3322296 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4213977&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001967%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Directional asymmetry, the systematic differences between the left and right body sides, is widespread in human populations. Changes in directional asymmetry are associated with various disorders that affect craniofacial development. Because facial dysmorphology is a key criterion for diagnosing fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), the question arises whether in utero alcohol exposure alters directional asymmetry in the face. Data on the relative position of 17 morphologic landmarks were obtained from facial scans of children who were classified as either FAS or control. Shape data obtained from the landmarks were analyzed with the methods of geometric morphometrics. Our analyses showed significant directional asymmetry of facial shape, consisting primarily of a shift of midline landmar... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4213977 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4213977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845052&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001827%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study examined the knowledge, skills, and practices of family medicine residency and clerkship directors and assessed the time devoted and format of FAS curricula in the programs. A self-administered anonymous survey was sent to the residency and clerkship directors (N=571). Response rate of clerkship directors was 52% and residency directors 46%. Both groups showed high level of knowledge of FASD and of alcohol counseling practices for pregnant women. Although almost two thirds of the residency programs had FASD integrated in the curriculum, an equivalent fraction of predoctoral programs did not. More than half of the clerkship directors without FASD in their curriculum agreed that a need exists for its inclusion. These findings raise important medical education and policy issues and... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845052 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3845052 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322292&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001815%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Prior research revealed that breast stimulation altered the way the lactating body handles alcohol. Its effects depended upon when it occurred relative to drinking. The goal of the present study was to determine whether breast pumping works independently of the physiological and metabolic changes that accompany lactation. To this end, we tested 12 women when they were exclusively breastfeeding 3–5-month-old infants and then again several months after lactation had ceased. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups that differed in the timing of breast pumping relative to drinking a 0.4g/kg dose of alcohol: one group breast pumped 0.6h after drinking (pumped after group) and the other pumped 1h before drinking (pumped before group). For each reproductive stage, subject... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322292 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3322292 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4213980&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001803%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Currently, no single marker is sensitive and specific enough to be considered a reliable biomarker for prenatal alcohol exposure. To identify a proteomic signature profile for maternal alcohol consumption, we carried out high-throughput proteomics on maternal endothelial caveolae exposed to moderate binge-like alcohol conditions. In these specialized lipid-ordered microdomains that contain a rich assembly of proteins, we demonstrate that moderate binge-like alcohol resulted in a distinctive maternal caveolar proteomic signature with important proteins being dramatically decreased/knocked out in the alcoholic profile. These proteins span from histones and basic structural proteins like α tubulin to proteins involved in trafficking, deubiquitination, cell signaling, and cell–cel... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4213980 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4213980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4213979&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001694%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Many children adversely affected by maternal drinking during pregnancy cannot be identified early in life using current diagnostic criteria for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). We conducted a preliminary investigation to determine whether ethanol-induced alterations in placental gene expression may have some utility as a diagnostic indicator of maternal drinking during pregnancy and as a prognostic indicator of risk for adverse neurobehavioral outcomes in affected offspring. Pregnant Long-Evans rats voluntarily consumed either a 0 or 5% ethanol solution 4 h each day throughout gestation. Ethanol consumption produced a mean maternal daily intermittent peak serum ethanol concentration of 84 mg/dL. Placentas were harvested on gestational day 20 for gene expression studies. Mi... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4213979 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4213979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4213971&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001608%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study examines the performance characteristics of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic Checklist (FASDC). In a population of 658 subjects from North Dakota, we used the FASDC score to examine the agreement between FASDC score, clinical diagnosis, and the Institute of Medicine criteria for FASD. All subjects were seen for evaluation in the genetic/dysmorphology clinics, which are funded by the state to provide genetic diagnostic services for residents of North Dakota. We compared the clinical diagnosis and the FASDC scores to determine the performance characteristics of the FASDC in the categorical diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum (FAS), other-FASD, and a group with No-FASD. Comparisons were made using univariate and logistic models of outcomes using both the presence and the absen... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4213971 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4213971 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4213970&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183290900158X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study is among the first to show the ability of an in-pregnancy T-ACE assessment to predict child neurodevelopmental outcome. In addition, increasing the total T-ACE score criterion (from 2 to 3) improved identification of non-drinking mothers and unaffected children with little loss in detection of drinkers and affected children. Efficient in-pregnancy screens for risk drinking afford greater opportunities for intervention that could prevent/limit FASDs. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4213970 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4213970 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227679&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909002274%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227679 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3227679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227678&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001669%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This article discusses our current knowledge of the cellular and molecular brain changes that stem from heavy alcohol exposure, including binge patterns, during adolescence. Progress has been made in linking the behavioral effects of adolescent drinking to underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. However, it is suggested that future research on the etiology and consequences of adolescent drinking use an integrative approach to this problem by combining multiple levels, including genetic, cellular and molecular, systems (neuroimaging), and behavioral, with an emphasis on integrating the different levels of analysis. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227678 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3227678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227677&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001670%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Binge alcohol use is common among teenagers with 28% of 12th graders reporting getting drunk in the past month. Chronic heavy drinking has been associated with verbal learning and memory deficits in adolescents and adults, yet verbal encoding in less frequently drinking teens has not yet been studied. Here, we examined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) response during verbal encoding among adolescent binge drinkers. Participants recruited from local high schools were of ages 16–18 and consisted of 12 binge drinkers and 12 demographically similar nondrinkers. Participants were all nonsmokers, and drinkers were abstinent from alcohol for an average of 33 days at the time of scanning. Participants performed a verbal paired associates learning task during fMRI acquisitio... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227677 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3227677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227676&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001736%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Ontogenetic studies using a social interaction paradigm have shown that adolescent rats are less sensitive to anxiolytic properties of acute ethanol than their adult counterparts. It is not known, however, whether adaptations to these anxiolytic effects on repeated experiences with ethanol would be similar in adolescents and adults. The present study investigated sensitivity to the anxiolytic effects of ethanol in adolescent and adult male and female Sprague–Dawley rats after 7 days of exposure (postnatal day [P] 27–33 for adolescents and P62–68 for adults) to 1g/kg ethanol or saline (intraperitoneally]) and in animals left nonmanipulated during this time. Anxiolytic effects of ethanol (0, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, and 1.5g/kg for adolescents and 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 1.25g/k... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227676 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3227676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227675&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001979%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study, in combination with previous reports on ethanol withdrawal in adolescents and adults, suggests only a BEC-dependent effect of ethanol on withdrawal severity regardless of age. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227675 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3227675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227674&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001931%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study investigated nicotine's influence on ethanol withdrawal seizures in two different age groups of male C3H mice. Adolescent and adult male C3H mice, beginning at postnatal day 28 or 70, respectively, were subjected to a 7-day chronic exposure to ethanol only, ethanol plus nicotine, nicotine only, or vehicle treatment. Six weeks later, all the groups were subjected to chronic exposure to ethanol vapors and the severity of their ethanol withdrawal seizures was assessed by handling-induced convulsions. An adolescent exposure to chronic nicotine resulted in an exacerbation of ethanol withdrawal seizures in adulthood. Given this, adolescence may contain a neurophysiological critical period that is sensitive to nicotine and which may result in an altered response to ethanol dependency i... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227674 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3227674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227673&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001700%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: The use of alcohol by adolescents is a growing problem and has become an important research topic in the etiology of the alcohol use disorders. A key component of this research has been the development of animal models of adolescent alcohol consumption and alcohol response. Because of their extended period of adolescence, rhesus macaques are especially well suited for modeling alcohol-related phenotypes that contribute to the adolescent propensity for alcohol consumption. In this review, we discuss studies from our laboratory that have investigated both the initial response to acute alcohol administration and the consumption of alcohol in voluntary self-administration paradigms in adolescent rhesus macaques. These studies confirm that adolescence is a time of dynamic change both ... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227673 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3227673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227672&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001724%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Alcohol use increases across adolescence and is a concern in the United States. In humans, males and females consume different amounts of alcohol depending on the age of initiation, and the long-term consequences of early ethanol consumption are not readily understood. The purpose of our work was to better understand the immediate and long-term impact of ethanol exposure during adolescence and the effects it can have on behavior and dopaminergic responsivity. We have assessed sex differences in voluntary ethanol consumption during adolescence and adulthood and the influence of binge ethanol exposure during adolescence. We have observed that males are sensitive to passive social influences that mediate voluntary ethanol consumption, and early ethanol exposure induces long-term cha... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227672 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3227672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227671&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS074183290900216X%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: This review discusses the contributions of a newly considered form of plasticity, the ongoing production of new neurons from neural stem cells, or adult neurogenesis, within the context of neuropathologies that occur with excessive alcohol intake in the adolescents. Neural stem cells and adult neurogenesis are now thought to contribute to the structural integrity of the hippocampus, a limbic system region involved in learning, memory, behavioral control, and mood. In adolescents with alcohol use disorders (AUDs), the hippocampus appears to be particularly vulnerable to the neurodegenerative effects of alcohol, but the role of neural stem cells and adult neurogenesis in alcoholic neuropathology has only recently been considered. This review encompasses a brief overview of neural s... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227671 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3227671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227670&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001682%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: This review discusses evidence for long-lasting neurophysiological changes that may occur following exposure to ethanol during adolescent development in animal models. Adolescence is the time that most individuals first experience ethanol exposure, and binge drinking is not uncommon during adolescence. If alcohol exposure is neurotoxic to the developing brain during adolescence, not unlike it is during fetal development, then understanding how ethanol affects the developing adolescent brain becomes a major public health issue. Adolescence is a critical time period when cognitive, emotional, and social maturation occurs and it is likely that ethanol exposure may affect these complex processes. To study the effects of ethanol on adolescent brain, animal models where the dose and ti... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227670 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3227670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227669&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001712%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Studies over the last decade demonstrate that adolescence is a brain maturation period from childhood to adulthood. Plastic and dynamic processes drive adolescent brain development, creating flexibility that allows the brain to refine itself, specialize, and sharpen its functions for specific demands. Maturing connections enable increased communication among brain regions, allowing greater integration and complexity. Compelling evidence has shown that the developing brain is vulnerable to the damaging effects of ethanol. It is possible to infer, therefore, that alcohol exposure during the critical adolescent developmental stages could disrupt the brain plasticity and maturation processes, resulting in behavioral and cognitive deficits. Recent neuroimaging studies have provided ev... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227669 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3227669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227668&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001955%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: It has been demonstrated by several laboratories that ethanol, both acute and chronic, produces effects that are age dependent. Specifically, adolescent rats are less sensitive to the hypnotic and motor-impairing effects of ethanol but are more sensitive to the hypothermic effects of the drug. However, the results on hippocampal function are not as clear. For example, there have been mixed findings regarding adolescent sensitivity of hippocampal-dependent (spatial) memory in response to ethanol. The current review explores the present state of the field as it relates to ethanol's effects in the hippocampus, particularly as it relates to spatial memory. In addition, we review potential neurobiological mechanisms that might underlie the age-dependent effects of ethanol in the hippo... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227668 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3227668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227667&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909002225%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes I began drinking alcohol at the age of thirteen and gave it up in my fifty sixth year; it was like going straight from puberty to a mid-life crisis.—George Montgomery It is my pleasure to introduce this issue of Alcohol that is focused on the field of Adolescence and Alcohol. In my opinion, this is one of the most exciting fields of alcohol research and I am thankful to Drs Charles Goodlett and David Lovinger for allowing me the opportunity to guest edit this issue. I would also like to thank the many researchers who took time to add their valuable contributions to this issue and my hope is that the articles contained in this issue will serve as a catalyst for more research into understanding the effects of alcohol during this critical developmental period. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227667 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3227667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4213983&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001797%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Despite considerable data published on cognitive and behavioral disabilities in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), relatively little information is available on behavioral or pharmacological interventions for alcohol-affected children. The main goals of this article, therefore, are to summarize published intervention studies of FASD and to present a neurodevelopmental framework, based on recent findings from a number of disciplines, for designing new therapies for alcohol-affected children. This framework assumes a neuroconstructionist view, which posits that reciprocal interactions between neural activity and the brain's hardware lead to the progressive formation of intra- and interregional neural connections. In this view, behavioral interventions can be con... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4213983 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 4213983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4213982&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001499%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This study was designed to develop a zebrafish experimental model to examine defects in retinoic acid (RA) signaling caused by embryonic ethanol exposure. RA deficiency may be a causative factor leading to a spectrum of birth defects classified as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Experimental support for this hypothesis using Xenopus showed that effects of treatment with ethanol could be partially rescued by adding retinoids during ethanol treatment. Previous studies show that treating zebrafish embryos during gastrulation and somitogenesis stages with a pathophysiological concentration of ethanol (100mM) produces effects that are characteristic features of FASD. We found that treating zebrafish embryos with RA at a low concentration (10−9M) and 100mM ethanol during gastrulation a... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4213982 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 4213982 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4213976&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001530%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes Abstract: Many previous attempts by fetal alcohol spectrum disorders researchers to compare data across multiple prospective and retrospective human studies have failed because of both structural differences in the collected data and difficulty in coming to agreement on the precise meaning of the terminology used to describe the collected data. Although some groups of researchers have an established track record of successfully integrating data, attempts to integrate data more broadly among different groups of researchers have generally faltered. Lack of tools to help researchers share and integrate data has also hampered data analysis. This situation has delayed improving diagnosis, intervention, and treatment before and after birth. We worked with various researchers and research program... Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4213976 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 4213976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4213975&cid=s_34432_2_f&fid=34432&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alcoholjournal.org%2Farticle%2FPIIS0741832909001475%2Fabstract%3Frss%3Dyes This article describes the methodology being used by the clinical projects that pertain to assessment of children and adolescents. Domains being addressed are dysmorphology, neurobehavior, 3-D facial imaging, and brain imaging. (Source: Alcohol) Alcohol journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4213975 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 4213975