Low-Molecular-Weight Mimetic of BDNF Loop 2 Reduces Ethanol Consumption in Female Rats

The study examined the effect of GTS-201, a low-molecular weight mimetic of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) loop 2, on persistent alcohol craving in outbred male and female albino rats with ethanol preference score ~50% developed in the free choice paradigm between 10% ethanol and water over 24 weeks. Both single and subchronic (5 days) injections of GTS-201 in a daily dose of 5 μg/kg reduced alcohol deprivation effect in female, but not in male rats. The possibility of in vivo sex-dependent regulation of modeled alcohol craving with a low-molecular-weight dipeptide mimetic of BDNF loop 2 was demonstrated and sex-related differences in this effect were revealed.