Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
Possible role of nerve growth factor in the pathogenesis of alcohol dependence
Su-Jung Yoon1, Sungwon Roh, Heejin Lee
1Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
Background:
Recent studies have raised the possibility that nerve growth factor (NGF) is abnormally regulated in the central nervous system (CNS) of animal models of chronic ethanol treatment. The goals of this study were to determine whether prolonged alcohol consumption is associated with the plasma NGF levels and to assess the effect of a positive family history of alcohol dependence on plasma NGF levels in the alcohol-dependent patients.
Methods:
We used the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the concentrations of peripheral NGF in patients with alcohol dependence and in a control group.
Results:
The plasma NGF concentrations in the alcohol-dependent patients were significantly lower than in the controls (71.9 vs 110.5 pg/mL, respectively). Moreover, the alcohol-dependent patients with positive family histories showed a greater decrease in their NGF levels than those subjects with negative family histories (64.7 vs 83.3 pg/mL, respectively).
Conclusions:
Our study suggests that the NGF levels may be a trait marker for the development of alcohol dependence.
More Related Videos
09:29Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods
Published on: August 4, 2022
09:50Experimental Methods for Testing the Effects of Neurotrophic Peptide, ADNF-9, Against Alcohol-induced Apoptosis during Pregnancy in C57BL/6 Mice
Published on: April 24, 2013
Related Concept Videos
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Enzyme-linked Receptors
Neurotrophin (NT) receptors are a family of RTKs, including trkA, trkB, and trkC (tropomyosin-related kinase) receptors. TrkA is specific for nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin-6, and neurotrophin-7. TrkB binds...
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Diabetic Neuropathy
Notch Signaling Pathway
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...