Region-Specific Depression of Striatal Activity in Wistar Rat by Modest Ethanol Consumption Over a Ten-Month Period.

Region-specific depression of striatal activity in Wistar rat by modest ethanol consumption over a ten-month period.

Alcohol. 2013 Apr 17;
Adermark L, Jonsson S, Söderpalm B, Ericson M

The nucleus accumbens (nAc) is the primary target for the mesolimbic dopamine system and a key brain region for the reinforcing effects displayed by drugs of abuse, including ethanol. During the transition from recreational to compulsive consumption of reinforcing drugs, however, the dorsal striatum seems to be recruited. Understanding how synaptic activity is altered in a sub-region specific manner in the striatum during the course of long-term drug consumption thus could be essential for understanding the long-lasting changes produced by addictive substances, including ethanol. Here we evaluated synaptic activity in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) and ventral striatum (nucleus accumbens, nAc) of single-housed Wistar rats consuming water, or water and ethanol, for up to 10 months. Even though ethanol intake was moderate, it was sufficient to decrease input/output function in response to stimulation intensity in the DLS, while recorded population spike (PS) amplitudes in the nAc were unaffected. Striatal disinhibition induced by the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline had a slower onset in rats that had consumed ethanol for 2 months, and was significantly depressed in slices from rats that had consumed ethanol for 4 months. Bicuculline-induced disinhibition in the nAc, on the other hand, was not significantly altered by long-term ethanol intake. Changes in PS amplitude induced by taurine or the glycine receptor antagonist strychnine were not significantly altered by ethanol in any brain region. Even though input/output function was not significantly affected by age, there was a significant decline in antagonist-induced disinhibition in brain slices from aged rats. The data presented here suggest that even modest consumption of ethanol is sufficient to alter neurotransmission in the striatum, while synaptic activity appears to be relatively well-preserved in the nAc during the course of long-term ethanol consumption. HubMed – addiction

 

IL-6 is associated with non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis in HIV-infected patients with alcohol problems.

AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2013 Apr 22;
Fuster D, Tsui JI, Cheng DM, Quinn EK, Armah KA, Nunes D, Freiberg M, Samet JH

Background: Both HIV and HCV cause chronic inflammation and alterations in serum inflammatory cytokines. The impact of inflammatory cytokines on liver fibrosis is not well understood. Methods: We studied the association between IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-alpha and liver fibrosis in HIV-infected patients with current or past alcohol problems (CAGE ?2 or physician investigator diagnosis). Liver fibrosis was estimated with FIB-4 (FIB-4 <1.45 defined absence of liver fibrosis and FIB-4 >3.25 defined advanced fibrosis). Logistic regression was used to assess the association between cytokines and fibrosis, adjusting for age, sex, CD4, HIV RNA, current antiretroviral therapy, Body Mass Index and HCV. Secondary analyses explored whether the association between HCV and liver fibrosis was mediated by these cytokines. Results: Participants (n=308) were all HIV-infected, 73% male, mean age 42 years, half with detectable HCV-RNA, 60.7% had absence of liver fibrosis and 10.1% had advanced fibrosis. In models that adjusted for each cytokine separately, higher levels of IL-6 were significantly associated with absence of fibrosis [adjusted OR (95% CI): 0.43 (0.19, 0.98), p=0.05] and were borderline significant for advanced fibrosis [adjusted OR (95% CI): 8.16 (0.96, 69.54), p= 0.055]. In the final model, only higher levels of IL-6 remained significantly associated with advanced liver fibrosis [adjusted OR (95% CI): 11.78 (1.17, 118.19), p=0.036]. Adjustment for inflammatory cytokines attenuated the adjusted OR for the association between HCV and fibrosis in the case of IL-6 [for absence of fibrosis from 0.32 (0.17, 0.57) p<0.01 to 0.47 (0.23, 0.96) p=0.04; and for advanced fibrosis from 7.22 (2.01, 25.96) p<0.01 to 6.62 (1.20, 36.62) p=0.03], suggesting IL-6 may be a partial mediator of the association between HCV and liver fibrosis. Conclusion: IL-6 was strongly and significantly associated with liver fibrosis in a cohort of HIV-infected patients with alcohol problems. IL-6 may be a useful predictive marker for liver fibrosis for HIV-infected patients. HubMed – addiction

 

Striatal modulation of BDNF expression using microRNA124a-expressing lentiviral vectors impairs ethanol-induced conditioned-place preference and voluntary alcohol consumption.

Eur J Neurosci. 2013 Apr 19;
Bahi A, Dreyer JL

Alcohol abuse is a major health, economic and social concern in modern societies, but the exact molecular mechanisms underlying ethanol addiction remain elusive. Recent findings show that small non-coding microRNA (miRNA) signaling contributes to complex behavioral disorders including drug addiction. However, the role of miRNAs in ethanol-induced conditioned-place preference (CPP) and voluntary alcohol consumption has not yet been directly addressed. Here, we assessed the expression profile of miR124a in the dorsal striatum of rats upon ethanol intake. The results show that miR124a was downregulated in the dorso-lateral striatum (DLS) following alcohol drinking. Then, we identified brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as a direct target of miR124a. In fact, BDNF mRNA was upregulated following ethanol drinking. We used lentiviral vector (LV) gene transfer technology to further address the role of miR124a and its direct target BDNF in ethanol-induced CPP and alcohol consumption. Results reveal that stereotaxic injection of LV-miR124a in the DLS enhances ethanol-induced CPP as well as voluntary alcohol consumption in a two-bottle choice drinking paradigm. Moreover, miR124a-silencer (LV-siR124a) as well as LV-BDNF infusion in the DLS attenuates ethanol-induced CPP as well as voluntary alcohol consumption. Importantly, LV-miR124a, LV-siR124a and LV-BDNF have no effect on saccharin and quinine intake. Our findings indicate that striatal miR124a and BDNF signaling have crucial roles in alcohol consumption and ethanol conditioned reward. HubMed – addiction

 

Multiple parameter evidence synthesis-a potential solution for when information on drug use and harm is in conflict.

Addiction. 2013 Apr 22;
Hickman M, De Angelis D, Jones H, Harris R, Welton N, Ades AE

HubMed – addiction

 


 

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