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According to new research, an oxytocin nasal spray "love hormone" could fight against alcoholism.
In experiments, rats hooked on alcohol drank less after a dose of "hug chemical". Oxytocin is triggered by a binding behavior, including intercourse and breastfeeding.
It has already been suggested as a treatment for eating disorders, anxiety and addiction.
At present, a study published in the journal PLOS Biology revealed reduced consumption in alcohol-dependent rats.
This could be due to the effect of oxytocin on brain GABA receptors, where it is thought that alcohol exerts its intoxicating effects.
The results of this research could lead to the development of an innovative treatment of alcohol consumption disorder in humans, according to US scientists.
Lead author, Dr. Brendan Tunstall, of Maryland's National Institutes of Health, said: "Experiments have shown that the administration of oxytocin administered systemically, intranasally or in the brain blocked excess alcohol consumption among alcohol addicts, but not in normal rats. "
His team found that it worked by strengthening the signaling of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). This is a key brain region of the neural network damaged by alcohol addiction, said Dr. Tunstall.
He said: "Taken together, these results provide evidence that oxytocin probably blocks increased alcohol consumption by altering the transmission of CeA GABA.
"These results prove that aberrations in the oxytocin system may be at the root of a disorder related to alcohol consumption."
Dr Tunstall added: "In addition, oxytocin blocked GABA signaling in CeA, targeting this system, possibly intranasally, could prove promising treatment for people who abuse drugs. l & # 39; alcohol. "
Previous research has shown that the administration of oxytocin can reduce consumption and be associated with several drugs of abuse.
This sounds promising as a "pharmacological approach to treating addiction," the researchers said.
They therefore decided to determine how it mitigated these effects by using an animal model of alcohol dependence.
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