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According to a study published April 16 in the open access journal, the neuropeptide oxytocin blocks the consumption of alcohol in alcohol-dependent rats. PLOS Biology led by Drs. Tunstall, Koob and Vendruscolo of the National Institutes of Health, and Drs. Kirson and Roberto from Scripps Research Institute. The authors note that the targeting of the oxytocin system could provide new pharmaceutical interventions for the treatment of alcohol-related disorders.
The administration of oxytocin can reduce the consumption, withdrawal symptoms and addict behavior badociated with several drugs of abuse. It is promising as a pharmacological approach to treating addiction. But most importantly, researchers need to understand how oxytocin mitigates these effects in animal models. To answer this question, Tunstall and his colleagues tested the hypothesis that the administration of oxytocin could normalize the maladaptive brain changes that occur in alcohol dependence and thereby reduce Alcohol consumption in an established pattern of alcohol dependence in the rat. The authors investigated the effects of oxytocin on alcohol consumption induced dependence and modification of GABA inhibitory neurotransmitter signaling in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) – a region key brain network affected by alcohol dependence.
Experiments demonstrated that oxytocin administered systemically, intranasally or in the brain blocked excess alcohol intake in alcohol-dependent rats but not in normal rats. In addition, oxytocin blocked GABA signaling in CeA. Taken together, these results provide evidence that oxytocin probably blocks increased alcohol consumption by altering CeA GABA transmission. These results prove that abnormalities in the oxytocin system may be at the origin of a disorder related to alcohol consumption and that the targeting of this system, possibly by intranasal administration, could be a promising treatment for people who abuse alcohol.
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Quote: Tunstall BJ, Kirson D, LJ Zallar, McConnell SA, JCM Vendruscolo, Ho CP, et al. (2019) Oxytocin blocks the increased motivation for alcohol dependence and blocks the effects of alcohol on GABAergic transmission in the central amygdala. PLoS Biol 17 (4): e2006421. https: /
Image credit: Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay
Image caption: It has been reported that the administration of oxytocin decreased the consumption, withdrawal and drug seeking badociated with several drugs of abuse. It is therefore a promising pharmacological approach to treating substance abuse.
Funding: National Institute for Combating Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program (Grant Number N / A) supported by BJT, GFK, LFV. The funder did not play any role in the design of the study, the data collection and badysis, the decision to publish or the preparation of the manuscript. National Institutes of Health (grant number F32 AA02526) awarded to DK. The funder did not play any role in the design of the study, the data collection and badysis, the decision to publish or the preparation of the manuscript. National Institutes of Health (grant number AA015566) badigned to MR. The funder did not play any role in the design of the study, the data collection and badysis, the decision to publish or the preparation of the manuscript. National Institutes of Health (grant number AA017447) badigned to MR. The funder did not play any role in the design of the study, the data collection and badysis, the decision to publish or the preparation of the manuscript. National Institutes of Health (grant number P60 AA006420) badigned to MR. The funder did not play any role in the design of the study, the data collection and badysis, the decision to publish or the preparation of the manuscript. National Institutes of Health (grant number K99 AA026638) awarded to DK. The funder did not play any role in the design of the study, the data collection and badysis, the decision to publish or the preparation of the manuscript.
Competing interests: The authors stated that there was no conflict of interest.
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