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Updated: May 30, 2026
05:12
Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
[Functional homology between alcohol dependence and mood disorder]
Masahiro Shibasaki1, Kazuhiro Kurokawa, Seitaro Ohkuma
1Department of Pharmacology, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki 701-0192, Japan.
Nihon Arukoru Yakubutsu Igakkai Zasshi = Japanese Journal of Alcohol Studies & Drug Dependence
|August 25, 2011
Summary
Chronic alcohol consumption and depression share similar molecular changes in the brain, particularly affecting the serotonin system (SERT, 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A receptors) and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Psychiatry
Context:
- Alcohol (ethanol) consumption alters central nervous system molecular events, including neurotransmitter systems.
- Long-term alcohol use is linked to dependence and comorbidities like mood and neurotic disorders.
- The serotonin system and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are implicated in both alcohol dependence and depression.
Purpose:
- To investigate functional changes in the serotonin transporter (SERT) and serotonin receptors (5-HT1A and 5-HT2A) in alcohol-dependent mice.
- To explore the correlation between depression-related neurochemical changes and alcohol dependence.
- To compare alterations in the serotonin system and HPA axis in alcohol dependence and depression.
Summary:
- Alcohol dependence in mice showed increased serotonin transporter (SERT) expression in specific brain regions (cingulate cortex, nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, thalamus).
- A decrease in 5-HT1A receptors (cingulate cortex, hippocampus) and 5-HT2A receptors (hippocampus) was observed in alcohol-dependent mice.
- Elevated glucocorticoid levels and HPA axis activation, common in depression, were also noted, suggesting shared neurobiological pathways.
Impact:
- Findings suggest overlapping neurobiological mechanisms between alcohol dependence and depression.
- Highlights the role of the serotonin system and HPA axis in the comorbidity of these conditions.
- Provides potential targets for therapeutic interventions addressing both alcohol use disorders and mood disorders.
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