Monkey alcohol tissue research resource: banking tissues for alcohol research
James B Daunais1, April T Davenport, Christa M Helms
1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology , Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, North Carolina.
Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research
|June 20, 2014
Summary
The Monkey Alcohol Tissue Research Resource (MATRR) offers valuable primate tissues for studying alcoholism. This resource aids in understanding alcohol use disorders and their effects on the central nervous system.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Toxicology
- Primate Research
Background:
- Alcoholism affects 18 million US adults, causing preventable deaths and organ damage.
- Rodent models have limitations in translating findings to human alcoholism due to species differences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a nonhuman primate model for studying chronic alcohol abuse.
- To provide a translational platform for alcoholism research.
Main Methods:
- Monkeys voluntarily consume excessive alcohol (>3.0 g/kg) over 12-30 months.
- The Monkey Alcohol Tissue Research Resource (MATRR) collects central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral tissues.
- Control animals receive an isocaloric solution.
Main Results:
- MATRR provides postmortem tissues and bioinformatics from monkeys with standardized alcohol self-administration.
- This resource supports research on alcohol's pathological effects on endocrine, hepatic, and CNS processes.
Conclusions:
- MATRR serves as a unique translational platform for alcoholism research.
- The resource facilitates a deeper understanding of alcohol use disorder disease processes.
