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Updated: Apr 20, 2026
Murine Drinking Models in the Development of Pharmacotherapies for Alcoholism: Drinking in the Dark and Two-bottle Choice
Published on: January 7, 2019
Increased alcohol consumption in urocortin 3 knockout mice is unaffected by chronic inflammatory pain
Monique L Smith1, Ju Li1, Andrey E Ryabinin2
1Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road L470, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA.
Aims:
Stress neurocircuitry may modulate the relationship between alcohol drinking and chronic pain. The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system is crucial for regulation of stress responses. The current study aimed to elucidate the role of the endogenous CRF ligand Urocortin 3 (Ucn3) in the relationship between alcohol drinking behavior and chronic pain using a genetic approach.
Methods:
Ucn3 (KO) and wildtype (WT) littermates were subjected to a 24-h access drinking procedure prior to and following induction of chronic inflammatory pain.
Results:
Ucn3 KO mice displayed significantly increased ethanol intake and preference compared with WT across the time course. There were no long-term effects of chronic pain on alcohol drinking behavior, regardless of genotype, nor any evidence for alcohol-induced analgesia.
Conclusion:
The increased drinking in Ucn3 KO supports a role for this peptide in alcohol-related behavior. These data suggest the necessity for more research exploring the relationship between alcohol drinking, chronic pain and the CRF system in rodent models.
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