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Nasal spray of "love hormone" has made alcoholic rats refuse to drink – and researchers say it could work for humans
- The researchers administered to laboratory rats a dose of oxytocin, called "love hormone".
- Alcohol-dependent rats given a dose drank less than normal rats
- The team discovered that oxytocin stimulates the signaling of a neurotransmitter called GABA, to which alcohol binds, in a part of the brain that is often damaged by excess alcohol.
- Drinking too much alcohol can lead to excessive stimulation of the GABA pathways, which can lead to alcohol-related toxicity and even accidental overdose.
According to a new study, an oxytocin nasal spray "love hormone" could fight alcoholism.
The researchers said that in experiments on rats, rodents hooked on alcohol drank less after a dose of the chemical.
Oxytocin is triggered by a binding behavior – including intercourse and breastfeeding – and has already been suggested as a treatment for eating disorders, anxiety, and substance abuse .
But the new study also showed that consumption of alcohol-dependent rats was also reduced, thanks to the effect of oxytocin on GABA receptors in the brain, where it is thought that alcohol exerts its intoxicating effects.
The findings could lead to the development of a novel treatment for alcohol consumption disorder in humans, said the team from the Maryland National Institutes of Health.
A new study from the National Institutes of Health found that alcohol-dependent rats who had been given a dose of oxytocin, called "love hormone," drank less than normal rats (image of the file)
Previous research has shown that the administration of oxytocin can reduce consumption and be associated with several drugs of abuse.
According to the researchers, there is a "pharmacological approach to treating addiction".
The team therefore decided to determine how it mitigated these effects by using an animal model of alcohol dependence.
For the study, published in PLOS Biology, researchers administered a dose of oxytocin to alcoholic rats and normal rats.
"Experiments have shown that the administration of oxytocin, administered systemically, intranasally or in the brain, blocked excess alcohol in alcohol addicts but not in normal rats", said Dr. Brendan Tunstall, senior author of the National Institutes of Health.
His team found that it works by reinforcing the signaling of the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which helps motor control and vision, as well as the regulation of anxiety.
GABA is the main neurotransmitter inhibitor of the nervous system, which means that it blocks certain nerve impulses that are transmitted between brain cells.
It is also believed that alcohol mimics the effect of GABA in the brain by binding to GABA receptors and inhibiting neuron signaling.
Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol can lead to excessive stimulation of the GABA pathways, which can lead to alcohol-related toxicity and even accidental overdose, according to the Recovery Village.
The researchers found that oxytocin caused a specific stimulation of GABA signaling in the central nucleus of the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for the detection of fear and preparedness for situations. emergency.
This is a key brain region of the neural network damaged by alcohol addiction, said Dr. Tunstall.
& # 39; Taken together, these results demonstrate that oxytocin probably blocks increased alcohol consumption by altering GABA transmission. [in the amygdala]& # 39; he added.
"These results prove that aberrations in the oxytocin system may be at the root of a disorder related to alcohol consumption."
The team said that since oxytocin blocked GABA signaling, it could lead to new potential therapies, such as nasal spray, for alcoholics.
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