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Action on Addiction takes action to disarm addiction to see that people are free from addiction and its effects. Their approach to this mission is multi-dimensional and covers everything from prevention to recovery.

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Role of the GABAB receptor system in alcoholism and stress: focus on clinical studies and treatment perspectivesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Alcoholism and stress share some common neurobiological circuits, including the GABAergic system. In particular, the GABAB receptor seems to play an important role. The GABAB receptor agonist baclofen has been studied as a treatment for alcohol-dependent subjects. Baclofen administration in alcohol-dependent patients was able to promote abstinence, inducing the remission of withdrawal symptoms, reducing alcohol craving, and reducing alcohol intake. Baclofen also reduced anxiety in alcohol-dependent subjects, probably acting on brain stress circuitry and/or on other neuroendocrine systems. Baclofen also showed exc...
Source: Alcohol - November 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Giovanni Addolorato, Lorenzo Leggio, Silvia Cardone, Anna Ferrulli, Giovanni Gasbarrini Source Type: journals

Role of the GABAB receptor in alcohol-seeking and drinking behaviorEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: The present paper summarizes experimental data demonstrating the reducing effect of direct agonists and positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of the γ-aminobutyric acidB (GABAB) receptor on different alcohol-related behaviors. Different lines of evidence indicate that direct agonists, including baclofen, effectively suppress acquisition and maintenance of alcohol drinking behavior, relapse-like drinking, and alcohol's reinforcing, rewarding, stimulating, and motivational properties in rats and mice. More recently, the discovery of a positive allosteric modulatory binding site, together with the synthesis of in v...
Source: Alcohol - November 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Paola Maccioni, Giancarlo Colombo Source Type: journals

Contribution of early environmental stress to alcoholism vulnerabilityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: The most problematic aspects of alcohol abuse disorder are excessive alcohol consumption and the inability to refrain from alcohol consumption during attempted abstinence. The root causes that predispose certain individuals to these problems are poorly understood but are believed to be produced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Early environmental trauma alters neurodevelopmental trajectories that can predispose an individual to a number of neuropsychiatric disorders, including substance abuse. Prenatal stress (PNS) is a well-established protocol that produces perturbations in nervous system ...
Source: Alcohol - November 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Joannalee C. Campbell, Karen K. Szumlinski, Tod E. Kippin Source Type: journals

Factors regulating stress-induced alcohol-seeking and pharmacotherapeutic treatments: Brief introduction and rationaleEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The central integration of stress responses and stress reactivity are critical factors in drug and alcohol abuse. A wealth of knowledge has been established regarding the identity of many factors implicated to act at the interface between stress and drug/alcohol seeking. For example, the extra-hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) system, in particular CRF1 receptors within the central nucleus of the amygdala are validated as a genuine therapeutic target for the regulation of excessive alcohol seeking that characterizes the postdependent state (for a review see ). Notably, with the exception of some specifica...
Source: Alcohol - November 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Andrew J. Lawrence Source Type: journals

Stress, alcohol craving, and relapse risk: mechanisms and viable treatment targetsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In 1995, we reported that exposing rats to mild intermittent footshock stress reinstates heroin seeking after extinction of the drug-reinforced behavior (). This finding led to a series of studies by us and other investigators on the behavioral and neuronal mechanisms involved in stress-induced relapse to drug seeking, as measured in an operant reinstatement model (). In this lecture, I summarized the main findings from these and related studies. My lecture covered four topics: (Source: Alcohol)
Source: Alcohol - November 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Barbara J. Mason, Yavin Shaham, Friedbert Weiss, A.D. Le Source Type: journals

Ethanol and acetaldehyde action on central dopamine systems: mechanisms, modulation, and relationship to stressEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: There has been a great deal of activity in recent years in the study of the direct effects of ethanol on the dopamine reward system originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). In addition, recent evidence suggests that acetaldehyde formed from ethanol in the brain or periphery may be a crucial factor in the central effects of ethanol. This critical review examines the actions of ethanol and acetaldehyde on neurons of the VTA and the possible interactions with stress, with a focus on electrophysiological studies in vivo and in vitro. Ethanol has specific effects on dopamine neurons and there is recent evidenc...
Source: Alcohol - November 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Miriam Melis, Marco Diana, Paolo Enrico, Michela Marinelli, Mark S. Brodie Source Type: journals

The role of neuroactive steroids in ethanol/stress interactions: proceedings of symposium VII at the Volterra conference on alcohol and stress, May 2008Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This report summarizes the proceedings of the symposium VII on the role of neuroactive steroids in stress/alcohol interactions. The production of GABAergic neuroactive steroids, including (3α,5α)-3-hydroxypregnan-20-one and (3α,5α)-3,21-dihydroxypregnan-20-one is a consequence of both acute stress and acute ethanol exposure. Acute, but not chronic ethanol administration elevates brain levels of these steroids and enhances GABAA receptor activity. Neuroactive steroids modulate acute anticonvulsant effects, sedation, spatial memory impairment, anxiolytic-like, antidepressant-like, and reinforcing properties of ethanol in...
Source: Alcohol - November 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: A. Leslie Morrow, Giovanni Biggio, Mariangela Serra, Howard C. Becker, Marcelo F. Lopez, Patrizia Porcu, Sarah E. Alward, Todd K. O'Buckley Source Type: journals

Neurobiological mechanisms contributing to alcohol–stress–anxiety interactionsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article summarizes the proceedings of a symposium that was presented at a conference entitled “Alcoholism and Stress: A Framework for Future Treatment Strategies.” The conference was held in Volterra, Italy on May 6–9, 2008 and this symposium was chaired by Jeff L. Weiner. The overall goal of this session was to review recent findings that may shed new light on the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the complex relationships between stress, anxiety, and alcoholism. Dr. Danny Winder described a novel interaction between D1 receptor activation and the corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) system that leads t...
Source: Alcohol - November 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Yuval Silberman, Michal Bajo, Ann M. Chappell, Daniel T. Christian, Maureen Cruz, Marvin R. Diaz, Thomas Kash, Anna K. Lack, Robert O. Messing, George R. Siggins, Danny Winder, Marisa Roberto, Brian A. McCool, Jeff L. Weiner Source Type: journals

Young Investigator Award SymposiumEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article highlights the research presented at the inaugural meeting of Alcoholism and Stress: A Framework for future Treatment Strategies. This meeting was held on May 6–8, 2008 in Volterra, Italy. It is an international meeting dedicated to developing preventive strategies and pharmacotherapeutic remedies for stress- and alcohol-related disorders. For the first time, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) conferred a Young Investigator Award to promote the work of young researchers and highlight their outstanding achievements in the fields of addiction medicine and stress disorders. The award...
Source: Alcohol - November 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Katie Witkiewitz, Andrew Holmes, Lara A. Ray, James G. Murphy, Heather N. Richardson, Yi-Chyan Chen, Meghan E. McDevitt-Murphy, Maureen T. Cruz, Marisa Roberto Source Type: journals

Stress-related neuropeptides and alcoholism: CRH, NPY, and beyondEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article summarizes the proceedings of a symposium held at the conference on “Alcoholism and Stress: A Framework for Future Treatment Strategies” in Volterra, Italy, May 6–9, 2008. Chaired by Markus Heilig and Roberto Ciccocioppo, this symposium offered a forum for the presentation of recent data linking neuropetidergic neurotransmission to the regulation of different alcohol-related behaviors in animals and in humans. Dr. Donald Gehlert described the development of a new corticotrophin-releasing factor receptor 1 antagonist and showed its efficacy in reducing alcohol consumption and stress-induced relapse in dif...
Source: Alcohol - November 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Roberto Ciccocioppo, Donald R. Gehlert, Andrey Ryabinin, Simranjit Kaur, Andrea Cippitelli, Annika Thorsell, Anh D. Lê, Philip A. Hipskind, Chafiq Hamdouchi, Jianliang Lu, Erik J. Hembre, Jeffrey Cramer, Min Song, David McKinzie, Michelle Morin, Daina Ec Source Type: journals

First Congress of “Alcoholism and stress: a framework for future treatment strategies”: Introduction to the ProceedingEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The first International Conference entitled “Alcoholism and Stress: a Framework for Future Treatment Strategies” was held at the Centro Studi Congress Center of the Cassa di Risparmio di Volterra, in Volterra, Pisa, Italy from May 6 to 8, 2008. The conference was organized and directed by Drs. Marisa Roberto and George F. Koob, with the invaluable assistance of Dr. Maureen T. Cruz from The Committee on the Neurobiology of Addicted Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute. The final attendance totaled 142 scientists from 11 different countries. The primary focus of the Conference was to disseminate knowledge of recent ...
Source: Alcohol - November 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Marisa Roberto, George F. Koob Source Type: journals

Periconceptional binge drinking and acculturation among pregnant Latinas in New MexicoEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Binge drinking during pregnancy might lead to the development of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in the offspring. Latinas are often considered a low-risk group for alcohol abuse, although recent reports indicate that the prevalence of alcohol consumption in this group is increasing due to changing cultural norms. The predictors of alcohol consumption during pregnancy among Latinas are largely unknown. We explored predictors of periconceptional drinking among Latinas (n=155) recruited into an ongoing cohort study at the University of New Mexico. Women were interviewed by a bilingual trained interviewer about any...
Source: Alcohol - August 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Ludmila N. Bakhireva, Bonnie N. Young, Jeanne Dalen, Sharon T. Phelan, William F. Rayburn Source Type: journals

Deficits in trace fear conditioning in a rat model of fetal alcohol exposure: dose–response and timing effectsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: In humans, prenatal alcohol exposure can result in significant impairments in several types of learning and memory, including declarative and spatial memory. Animal models have been useful for confirming that many of the observed effects are the result of alcohol exposure, and not secondary to poor maternal nutrition or adverse home environments. Wagner and Hunt (2006) reported that rats exposed to ethanol during the neonatal period (postnatal days [PDs] 4–9) exhibited impaired trace fear conditioning when trained as adolescents, but were unaffected in delay fear conditioning. The present series of three experi...
Source: Alcohol - August 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Pamela S. Hunt, Sarah E. Jacobson, Elena J. Torok Source Type: journals

Binge ethanol exposure in late gestation induces ethanol aversion in the dam but enhances ethanol intake in the offspring and affects their postnatal learning about ethanolEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Previous studies show that exposure to 1 or 2g/kg of ethanol during the last days of gestation increases ethanol acceptance in infant rats. We tested whether prenatal exposure to 3g/kg, a relatively high ethanol dose, generates an aversion to ethanol in both the dam and offspring, and whether this prenatal experience affects the expression of learning derived from ethanol exposure postnatally. The answer was uncertain, because postnatal administration of a 3-g/kg ethanol dose induces an aversion to ethanol after postnatal day (PD) 10 but increases ethanol acceptance when administered during the first postnatal we...
Source: Alcohol - August 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: M. Gabriela Chotro, Carlos Arias, Norman E. Spear Source Type: journals

Reduced alcohol consumption in mice with access to a running wheelEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Studies of the behavioral effects of alcohol in humans and rodent models have implicated a number of neurological pathways and genes. Separate studies have shown that certain regions of the brain are involved in behavioral responses to exercise. The aim of this study was to determine whether mice which normally voluntarily consume high amounts of alcohol (C57BL/6 strain) would exhibit reduced alcohol consumption when given access to a running wheel under two different models of voluntary consumption: unlimited access two-bottle choice and limited access drinking in the dark (DID). Under the two-bottle choice mode...
Source: Alcohol - August 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Marissa A. Ehringer, Nicole R. Hoft, Matthias Zunhammer Source Type: journals

Positive relationship between dietary fat, ethanol intake, triglycerides, and hypothalamic peptides: counteraction by lipid-lowering drugsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Studies in both humans and animals suggest a positive relationship between the intake of ethanol and intake of fat, which may contribute to alcohol abuse. This relationship may be mediated, in part, by hypothalamic orexigenic peptides such as orexin (OX), which stimulate both consumption of ethanol and fat, and circulating triglycerides (TGs), which stimulate these peptides and promote consummatory behavior. The present study investigated this vicious cycle between ethanol and fat, to further characterize its relation to TGs and to test the effects of lowering TG levels. In Experiment 1, the behavioral relationsh...
Source: Alcohol - August 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Jessica R. Barson, Olga Karatayev, Guo-Qing Chang, Deanne F. Johnson, Miriam E. Bocarsly, Bartley G. Hoebel, Sarah F. Leibowitz Source Type: journals

Ethanol-induced hyperactivity is associated with hypodopaminergia in the 22-TNJ ENU-mutated mouseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We examined the functional status of the DA system and behavioral responsiveness to ethanol, cocaine, and a DA-receptor agonist in an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-mutagenized mouse strain, 22-TNJ, generated by the Integrative Neuroscience Initiative on Alcoholism Consortium. The 22-TNJ mouse strain exhibited greater locomotor responses to 2.25g/kg ethanol and 10mg/kg cocaine, compared with control mice. In vivo microdialysis showed low-baseline DA levels and a larger DA increase with both 2.25g/kg ethanol and 10mg/kg cocaine. In in vitro voltammetry studies, the 22-TNJ mice displayed increased Vmax rates for DA uptake, possibly c...
Source: Alcohol - August 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Tiffany A. Mathews, Bethany R. Brookshire, Evgeny A. Budygin, Kristen Hamre, Daniel Goldowitz, Sara R. Jones Source Type: journals

Differential activation of limbic circuitry associated with chronic ethanol withdrawal in DBA/2J and C57BL/6J miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Although no animal model exactly duplicates clinically defined alcoholism, models for specific factors, such as the withdrawal syndrome, are useful for identifying potential neural determinants of liability in humans. The well-documented difference in withdrawal severity following chronic ethanol exposure, between the DBA/2J and C57BL/6J mouse strains, provides an excellent starting point for dissecting the neural circuitry affecting predisposition to physical dependence on ethanol. To induce physical dependence, we used a paradigm in which mice were continuously exposed to ethanol vapor for 72h. Ethanol-exposed ...
Source: Alcohol - August 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Gang Chen, Matthew T. Reilly, Laura B. Kozell, Robert Hitzemann, Kari J. Buck Source Type: journals

Affective temperaments in alcoholic patientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Ninety-four consecutive responders to treatment alcoholics, 39 with and 55 without psychiatric comorbidity, were compared, regarding affective temperaments, according to the formulation of Akiskal and Mallya, with 50 healthy volunteers displaying the same social characteristics and belonging to the same environment. No differences were observed between alcoholics and controls on the hyperthymic scale. Significant discrepancies were measured on the depressive, cyclothymic, and irritable scales, where alcoholics scored higher, regardless of the presence or absence of dual diagnosis. In a multivariate discriminant a...
Source: Alcohol - July 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Matteo Pacini, Icro Maremmani, Mario Vitali, Patrizia Santini, Marina Romeo, Mauro Ceccanti Source Type: journals

Effects of neonatal alcohol exposure on vasoactive intestinal polypeptide neurons in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleusEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Neonatal alcohol exposure produces long-term changes in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) that are presumably responsible for disturbances in the light–dark regulation of circadian behavior in adult rats, including the pattern of photoentrainment, rate of re-entrainment to shifted light–dark cycles, and phase-shifting responses to light. Because SCN neurons containing vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) receive direct photic input via the retinohypothalamic tract and thus play an important role in the circadian regulation of the SCN clock mechanism by light, the present study examined the long-term effect...
Source: Alcohol - July 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Yuhua Z. Farnell, Gregg C. Allen, Nichole Neuendorff, James R. West, A. Chen Wei-Jung, David J. Earnest Source Type: journals

Orexin-1 receptor antagonism decreases ethanol consumption and preference selectively in high-ethanol–preferring Sprague–Dawley ratsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Work from our laboratory has shown that orexin (ORX; or hypocretin) neurons in the lateral hypothalamus are involved in preference for morphine, cocaine, and food. Other groups have demonstrated a connection between the ORX system and ethanol-related behaviors. Here, we extended those results to investigate, in outbred Sprague–Dawley rats, the relationship between ethanol preference and the ORX system. In Experiment 1, rats were trained to drink 10% ethanol using the intermittent access (IA) technique. In Experiment 2, different groups of rats were trained to drink 10% ethanol using either IA or the sucrose-fad...
Source: Alcohol - July 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: David E. Moorman, Gary Aston-Jones Source Type: journals

Sex differences in acute ethanol withdrawal severity after adrenalectomy and gonadectomy in Withdrawal Seizure-Prone and Withdrawal Seizure-Resistant miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Recent findings suggest that the ability of ethanol (EtOH) to increase the levels of neurosteroids with potent γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic properties can influence measures of EtOH sensitivity. Earlier studies determined that removal of the adrenals and gonads diminished the steroidogenic effect of EtOH and significantly increased acute EtOH withdrawal severity in two inbred mouse strains that differed in withdrawal severity, suggesting the contribution of anticonvulsant GABAergic steroids to acute withdrawal in intact animals. Thus, the goal of the present study was to investigate the consequence of steroid...
Source: Alcohol - July 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Moriah N. Strong, Katherine R. Kaufman, John C. Crabbe, Deborah A. Finn Source Type: journals

Blockade of ethanol reward by the kappa opioid receptor agonist U50,488HEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Alcoholism is a pervasive social problem, and thus understanding factors that regulate alcohol (ethanol) reward is important for designing effective therapies. One putative regulatory system includes the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) and its endogenous ligand, dynorphin. Previously, we demonstrated that acute ethanol increased preprodynorphin expression via brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in striatal neurons, and that blockade of the KOR attenuated decreases in ethanol intake observed following increased expression of BDNF. As high doses of KOR agonists can generate an aversive state, we hypothesized that ...
Source: Alcohol - July 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Marian L. Logrip, Patricia H. Janak, Dorit Ron Source Type: journals

Opioid antagonists block the acquisition of ethanol-mediated conditioned tactile preference in infant ratsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: It has been difficult to find conditioned preference for tactile cues paired with ethanol intoxication in rats. Toward understanding the ontogeny of ethanol reinforcement, we aimed at establishing a simple and reliable procedure for (1) assessing primary appetitive conditioning to ethanol in infant rats and (2) discerning the role the opioid system plays in ethanol-mediated conditioning at this age. Experiment 1 determined the parameters (i.e., dose, interval of conditioning) for assessing ethanol-mediated conditioning. Pups were then trained with differential Pavlovian conditioning (Experiments 2 and 3) in which...
Source: Alcohol - July 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Michael Eduard Nizhnikov, Ricardo Marcos Pautassi, Eric Truxell, Norman E. Spear Source Type: journals

Proceedings of the 2008 annual meeting of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study GroupEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: The annual meeting of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group (FASDSG) was held on June 28, 2008 in Washington DC, as a satellite to the Research Society on Alcoholism meeting. The FASDSG membership includes clinical, basic, and social scientists who meet to discuss recent advances and issues in FASD research. The main theme of the meeting was “Factors that Influence Brain and Behavioral Development: Implications for Prevention and Intervention.” Two keynote speakers, Dr. Stephen Suomi and Dr. Carl Keen addressed how early environment and nutrition may influence outcome after prenatal alcohol exposur...
Source: Alcohol - May 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Jennifer D. Thomas, Feng C. Zhou, Cynthia J.M. Kane Source Type: journals

Activation of MEK 1/2 and p42/44 MAPK by angiotensin II in hepatocyte nucleus and their potentiation by ethanolEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Hepato-subcellular effect of angiotensin II (Ang II) and ethanol on the p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and MAPK kinase (MEK 1/2) was investigated in the nucleus of rat hepatocytes. Hepatocytes were treated with ethanol (100mM) for 24h and stimulated with Ang II (100nM, 5min). The levels of p42/44 MAPK and MEK 1/2 were monitored in the nuclear fraction using antibodies. Ang II itself caused significant accumulation of phosphorylated p42/44 MAPK (phospho-p42/44 MAPK) in the nucleus without any significant translocation of p42/44 MAPK protein thereby suggesting activation of p42/44 MAPK in the nucleu...
Source: Alcohol - May 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Annayya R. Aroor, Youn Ju Lee, Shivendra D. Shukla Source Type: journals

Ethanol increases desensitization of recombinant GluR-D AMPA receptor and TARP combinationsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Glutamate receptors are important target molecules of the acute effect of ethanol. We studied ethanol sensitivity of homomeric GluR-D receptors expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells and examined whether recently discovered transmembrane α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor regulatory proteins (TARPs) affect ethanol sensitivity. Coexpression of the TARPs, stargazin, and γ4 increased the time constant (τ-value) of current decay in the presence of agonist, thus slowing the onset of desensitization and increasing the steady-state current. Ethanol produced less inhibition of ...
Source: Alcohol - May 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Tommi P. Möykkynen, Sarah K. Coleman, Kari Keinänen, David M. Lovinger, Esa R. Korpi Source Type: journals

Relation between plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor in the male patients with alcohol dependenceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) are thought to be related to neuroprotection in cell culture and animal studies. Our aim was to verify the changes in human plasma BDNF and NGF concentrations induced by chronic alcohol use. Forty-one male patients with alcohol dependence were sampled the next morning of admission and compared with 41 healthy male subjects. Plasma BDNF and NGF were assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Mean plasma BDNF level was significantly higher in the patients with alcohol dependence (3502.21±1726.9pg/mL) compared with the healthy s...
Source: Alcohol - May 31, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Boung Lee Chul, Ihn-Geun Choi, Yong-Ku Kim, Byung-Joo Ham, Byung-Hwan Yang, Sungwon Roh, Joonho Choi, Jun-Seok Lee, Dong-Yul Oh, Young-Gyu Chai Source Type: journals

Alcohol and trauma: a summary of the Satellite Symposium at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Shock SocietyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article highlights the research presented at the Alcohol and Trauma Satellite Symposium at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Shock Society. The satellite meeting was held on June 8 and 9 in Baltimore, MD. Its purpose was to discuss recent findings in the areas of alcohol and injury, including the effect of alcohol use on patients in the trauma unit of hospitals. The meeting consisted of three sessions, with plenary talks by invited speakers, short talks from selected abstracts, and a poster session. Participants presented data on the effects of alcohol on organ function, healing, and immune processes after a variety of i...
Source: Alcohol - April 24, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Melanie D. Bird, Mashkoor A. Choudhry, Patricia E. Molina, Elizabeth J. Kovacs Source Type: journals

Maternal smoking, alcohol, and coffee use during pregnancy and son's risk of testicular cancerEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: It has been suggested that increased risk for testicular cancer occurring worldwide may be due to exposures during fetal development. Lifestyle or environmental exposures may be the most important predictors of risk. However, few studies have directly examined these exposures prospectively. The Child Health and Development Studies is a 40-year follow-up of 20,530 pregnancies occurring between 1959 and 1967. There were 20 cases of testicular cancer diagnosed through 2003 among sons with a maternal interview in early pregnancy. Cases were matched to three controls on birth year and race. Odds ratios and 95% confide...
Source: Alcohol - April 24, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Morgana L. Mongraw-Chaffin, Barbara A. Cohn, Andrew T. Anglemyer, Richard D. Cohen, Roberta E. Christianson Source Type: journals

Ethanol inhibition of aspartyl-asparaginyl-β-hydroxylase in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Potential link to the impairments in central nervous system neuronal migrationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol and associated with hypoplasia and impaired neuronal migration in the cerebellum. Neuronal survival and motility are stimulated by insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF), whose signaling pathways are major targets of ethanol neurotoxicity. To better understand the mechanisms of ethanol-impaired neuronal migration during development, we examined the effects of chronic gestational exposure to ethanol on aspartyl (asparaginyl)-β-hydroxylase (AAH) expression, because AAH is regulated by insulin/IGF and mediates neuronal motility. ...
Source: Alcohol - April 24, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Suzanne M. de la Monte, Ming Tong, Rolf I. Carlson, Jade J. Carter, Lisa Longato, Elizabeth Silbermann, Jack R. Wands Source Type: journals

l-Carnitine in the lipid and protein protection against ethanol-induced oxidative stressEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Chronic ethanol intoxication induces oxidative stress participating in the development of many diseases. Nutrition and the interaction of food nutrients with ethanol metabolism may modulate alcohol toxicity. One such compound is l-carnitine (l-3-hydroxy-4-N,N,N-trimethylaminobutyrate), which also reveals antioxidant abilities. The present study has been designed to investigate the effect of l-carnitine as an antioxidant on the serum and liver of rats chronically intoxicated with ethanol. Rats received l-carnitine solution (1.5g/1L) for 5 weeks and/or were treated intragastrically with ethanol for 4 weeks. In the ...
Source: Alcohol - April 24, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Agnieszka Augustyniak, Elżbieta Skrzydlewska Source Type: journals

Rats in acute withdrawal from ethanol exhibit left ventricular systolic dysfunction and cardiac sympathovagal balance shiftEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: There is strong evidence that sympathovagal balance plays an important role in the progression of cardiac dysfunction in non-alcoholics. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether a pattern of continuous ethanol intake and withdrawal modulates the cardiac sympathovagal balance and left ventricular (LV) systolic function in rats. Male Wistar rats were treated with a continuous ethanol liquid diet for 49 days, and then subjected to 1-day withdrawal and 21-day abstinence. Cardiac sympathovagal balance and LV systolic function were evaluated based on heart rate variability (HRV), Western blotting, and...
Source: Alcohol - April 24, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Jinyao Liu, Seiko Shirafuji, Tatsuya Fujimiya Source Type: journals

The anxiolytic etifoxine protects against convulsant and anxiogenic aspects of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome in miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Change in the function of γ-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA) receptors attributable to alterations in receptor subunit composition is one of main molecular mechanisms with those affecting the glutamatergic system which accompany prolonged alcohol (ethanol) intake. These changes explain in part the central nervous system hyperexcitability consequently to ethanol administration cessation. Hyperexcitability associated with ethanol withdrawal is expressed by physical signs, such as tremors, convulsions, and heightened anxiety in animal models as well as in humans. The present work investigated the effects of anxiolytic co...
Source: Alcohol - April 24, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Marc Verleye, Isabelle Heulard, Jean-Marie Gillardin Source Type: journals

The role of alcoholic beverage preference in the severity of alcohol dependence and adherence to the treatmentEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study focused on the types of beverages preferentially consumed by alcohol-dependent outpatients and their effects on the severity of dependence and therapeutic outcomes. Our sample comprised 153 patients, 18–60 years of age, with an International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) diagnosis of alcohol dependence, who were randomly divided into three different groups to receive topiramate (up to 300mg/day), naltrexone (50mg/day), or placebo during 12 weeks of follow-up. Spirits and beer were the main beverages consumed. At the start of this research, the group of spirits drinkers showed higher severity of alcohol d...
Source: Alcohol - April 24, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Danilo Antonio Baltieri, Fábio R. Daró, Philip L. Ribeiro, Arthur G. De Andrade Source Type: journals

Dopamine D4 receptor gene exon III polymorphism associated with binge drinking attitudinal phenotypeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study used the DNA subsample (N=233, mean age19.8, standard deviation,0.89) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to investigate the association between a 48 base-pair variable number of tandem repeats in the DRD4 gene and a measure of binge drinking. Multivariate regression models indicated that the 7-repeat (7R) allele of the exon III polymorphism is significantly positively associated (β=0.16, P (Source: Alcohol)
Source: Alcohol - April 24, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Michael G. Vaughn, Kevin M. Beaver, Matt DeLisi, Matthew O. Howard, Brian E. Perron Source Type: journals

Vulnerability of macaque cranial nerve neurons to ethanol is time- and site-dependentEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: The present study tested the hypotheses that vulnerability to ethanol depends upon (1) population-based characteristics of the neuronal progenitors and (2) the maturation of that population by examining the effects of prenatal exposure to ethanol on brainstem nuclei derived from different rhombomeres and from the alar and basal plates. Macaca nemestrina received an ethanol-containing solution 1 day per week during the first 6 (Et6) or 24 (Et24) weeks of gestation. Control animals received an equivalent volume of saline. The treatment regime for some animals included early gastrulation (gestational day [G] 19 or G...
Source: Alcohol - April 19, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Sandra M. Mooney, Michael W. Miller Source Type: journals

Intermittent access to beer promotes binge-like drinking in adolescent but not adult Wistar ratsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Teenagers are more likely than adults to engage in binge drinking and could be more vulnerable to long-term brain changes following alcohol abuse. We investigated the possibility of excessive adolescent drinking in a rodent model in which beer (4.44% ethanol vol/vol) is presented to adult and adolescent male Wistar rats. Experiment 1 tracked ad libitum beer and water consumption in group-housed rats from postnatal day (PND) 28–96. Rats consumed an average of 7.8g/kg/day of ethanol during adolescence (PND 34–55) and this gradually declined to a lower level of intake in adulthood (PND 56–93) of 3.9g/kg/day. I...
Source: Alcohol - April 19, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Garth A. Hargreaves, Lauren Monds, Nathan Gunasekaran, Bronwyn Dawson, Iain S. McGregor Source Type: journals

Decreased somatostatin is related to the hypersensitivity of intestinal epithelia to LPS via upregulated TLR4–TBK1 pathway in rats chronically exposed to ethanolEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study aimed to investigate in rats the role of intestinal epithelial inflammatory responsiveness in the susceptibility of alcoholics to excessive inflammation. Thirty Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: 10 rats killed immediately after acclimation (baseline control), 10 rats treated with 25% (vol/vol) ethanol for 6 months (ethanol group), and 10 rats given double-distilled water until killed simultaneously with the ethanol group (9-month control). The intestinal microflora, the epithelial histology and ultrastructure, the level of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), TANK-binding kinase-1 (TBK1), and activate...
Source: Alcohol - April 19, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Chao Zhou, Jing Li, Haiying Wang, Chengwei Tang Source Type: journals

The TaqI A DRD2 polymorphism in type II alcohol dependence: a marker of age at onset or of a familial disease?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Cloninger's type II is a severe, early-onset, male-limited, and genetically influenced, impulsive form of alcoholism. Significant association has been reported between the A1 allele of the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) gene, substance misuse and personality traits of impulsivity and novelty seeking. We assessed the association between the TaqI A DRD2 gene polymorphism with Cloninger's typology and family history of alcohol abuse, which is thought to be more frequent in type II alcoholics. Fifty-one male alcohol-dependent patients were discriminated between type I and type II according to age at onset of alcohol-rel...
Source: Alcohol - April 19, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Emmanuel Pinto, Jean Reggers, Philip Gorwood, Claudette Boni, Gabrielle Scantamburlo, William Pitchot, Marc Ansseau Source Type: journals

Effects of heroin-assisted treatment on alcohol consumption: findings of the German randomized controlled trialEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Alcohol has been suggested to be a risk factor for opioid-dependent patients in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Literature shows that MMT has limited effects on alcohol use. Nevertheless, a decrease in alcohol use was detected in the Swiss heroin-assisted treatment (HAT) study. In this article, we carry out an in-depth analysis of the German HAT trial with the aim of determining whether alcohol use was affected among patients undergoing HAT and MMT. Analysis was carried out using self-reported data on consumption units of alcohol used (CU), Addiction Severity Index composite scores (ASI CSs), and carbohydr...
Source: Alcohol - April 19, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: C. Haasen, F.J. Eiroa-Orosa, U. Verthein, M. Soyka, C. Dilg, I. Schäfer, J. Reimer Source Type: journals

Role of the nNOS gene in ethanol-induced conditioned place preference in miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) produced by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) has a role in synaptic plasticity, and evidence suggests its role in a range of effects produced by alcohol in the central nervous system. The aim of the current study was to investigate the role of the nNOS gene in the development of ethanol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in mice. The CPP paradigm is designed to investigate the reinforcing properties of drugs of abuse and the development of maladaptive behaviors, such as conditioned response to drug-associated stimuli, after repeated drug exposure. Adult male and female wild type (WT...
Source: Alcohol - April 12, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Yossef Itzhak, Concepción Roger-Sánchez, Karen L. Anderson Source Type: journals

Maternal smoking, alcohol, and coffee use during pregnancy and son's risk of testicular cancer.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
It has been suggested that increased risk for testicular cancer occurring worldwide may be due to exposures during fetal development. Lifestyle or environmental exposures may be the most important predictors of risk. However, few studies have directly examined these exposures prospectively. The Child Health and Development Studies is a 40-year follow-up of 20,530 pregnancies occurring between 1959 and 1967. There were 20 cases of testicular cancer diagnosed through 2003 among sons with a maternal interview in early pregnancy. Cases were matched to three controls on birth year and race. Odds ratios and 95% confidence in...
Source: Alcohol - March 18, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Mongraw-Chaffin ML, Cohn BA, Anglemyer AT, Cohen RD, Christianson RE Tags: Alcohol Source Type: journals

The role of alcoholic beverage preference in the severity of alcohol dependence and adherence to the treatment.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study focused on the types of beverages preferentially consumed by alcohol-dependent outpatients and their effects on the severity of dependence and therapeutic outcomes. Our sample comprised 153 patients, 18-60 years of age, with an International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) diagnosis of alcohol dependence, who were randomly divided into three different groups to receive topiramate (up to 300mg/day), naltrexone (50mg/day), or placebo during 12 weeks of follow-up. Spirits and beer were the main beverages consumed. At the start of this research, the group of spirits drinkers showed higher severity of alcohol dep...
Source: Alcohol - March 6, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Baltieri DA, Daró FR, Ribeiro PL, De Andrade AG Tags: Alcohol Source Type: journals

Herp mRNA expression in patients classified according to Lesch's typology.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study was undertaken to assess Herp mRNA expression in actively drinking patients with alcoholism who were classified according to Lesch's typology. Herp mRNA expression levels were measured by quantitative PCR in the blood of 76 male alcoholic patients. Patients were classified according to Lesch's typology (type I-IV). With respect to Lesch's typology, a significant difference in Herp mRNA expression regarding the four subtypes could be shown (F[3,72]=2.83, P=.044). In a logistic regression model (dependent variable Herp dichotomized by a median-split; adjusted for age and homocysteine levels) the subtype II differe...
Source: Alcohol - March 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Biermann T, Reulbach U, Lenz B, Muschler M, Sperling W, Hillemacher T, Kornhuber J, Bleich S Tags: Alcohol Source Type: journals

RNA interference against aldehyde dehydrogenase-2: development of tools for alcohol research.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study describes chemically synthesized siRNAs and an endogenously synthesized shRNA, which reduce ALDH2 activity and constitute tools that should be of value for further alcohol research. PMID: 19251111 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Alcohol)
Source: Alcohol - March 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Cortínez G, Sapag A, Israel Y Tags: Alcohol Source Type: journals

Effects of forced alcohol drinking on alcohol-water choice in three pairs of rat lines selectively bred for differences in alcohol preference.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Three pairs of Indiana University rat lines (inbred alcohol-preferring and nonpreferring rat lines [P/NPs], high- and low-alcohol-drinking rat lines [HAD/LAD1s and HAD/LAD2s]) were bred in the School of Medicine colony to drink high versus low daily amounts of a 10% vol/vol alcohol test solution (>5.0 g/kg body weight vs. <1.5 g/kg body weight), and a high versus low proportion of alcohol to water (>2:1 vs. <0.5:1) by the end of a 3-week alcohol-water choice condition. This choice phase was always preceded by four days of a forcing procedure with alcohol as the only fluid. The present study examined the con...
Source: Alcohol - March 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Timberlake W, Leffel JK, Chester JA, Froehlich JC Tags: Alcohol Source Type: journals

Potency of naltrexone to reduce ethanol self-administration in rats is greater for subcutaneous versus intraperitoneal injection.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The opioid antagonist naltrexone (NTX) is used to treat alcohol dependence and may reduce alcohol consumption by selectively blocking opioid receptors. In rat experiments, discrepancy exists across studies regarding the potency of NTX to reduce ethanol consumption. One cause of this discrepancy may be the use of different routes of NTX administration (e.g., intraperitoneal vs. subcutaneous). The purpose of this study was to directly compare the effects of intraperitoneal and subcutaneous injections of NTX on ethanol self-administration. Rats pressed a lever for a sweetened ethanol solution (10% wt/vol in 0.1% saccharin...
Source: Alcohol - March 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Williams KL, Broadbridge CL Tags: Alcohol Source Type: journals

Effects of N-acetylcysteine on alcohol abstinence and alcohol-induced adverse effects in rats.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, the present study brought new insights into alcohol consumption, because ethanol exposure enhanced serum in vivo ox-LDL, as well as serum and hepatic oxidative stress. N-acetylcysteine offers promising therapeutic value to inhibit ethanol-induced adverse effects. Ethanol withdrawal had beneficial effects on serum lipids, but was more effective when coupled with NAC supplementation. Ethanol abstinence and NAC intake interact synergistically, improving serum lipids and hepatic antioxidant defenses. PMID: 19251114 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Alcohol)
Source: Alcohol - March 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Ferreira Seiva FR, Amauchi JF, Ribeiro Rocha KK, Souza GA, Ebaid GX, Burneiko RM, Novelli EL Tags: Alcohol Source Type: journals

Effects of different concentrations of sugarcane alcohol on food intake and nutritional status of male and female periadolescent rats.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The present study evaluated the effects of food and alcohol intake on the nutritional and metabolic status of male and female periadolescent rats submitted to single (15%) and multiple (10%, 20%, 30%) concentrations of hydroalcoholic solutions of sugar-based alcohol associated with a feed mixture. Thirty-six periadolescent Wistar rats were used and randomly arranged into three groups: Group A (control; 0% ethanol; six males and six females), Group B (15% ethanol; six males and six females), and Group C (10%, 20%, and 30% ethanol; six males and six females). Food consumption, body weight, water intake (mL), ethanol inta...
Source: Alcohol - March 1, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Gonçalves de Orange L, Bion FM, Rolim de Lima C Tags: Alcohol Source Type: journals