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[Stress and alcohol: research with experimental animals]
1Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
Nihon Arukoru Yakubutsu Igakkai Zasshi = Japanese Journal of Alcohol Studies & Drug Dependence
|April 29, 1998
Summary
Stress increases ethanol intake, particularly after stress cessation. Ethanol may reduce anxiety by lowering noradrenaline in brain regions and increase dopamine, potentially driving repeated alcohol consumption.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Stress significantly impacts ethanol (alcohol) consumption and response.
- Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the stress-ethanol interaction is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the interaction between stress and ethanol in experimental animals.
- To explore how stress affects ethanol intake and how ethanol modifies stress responses.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing research on animal models of stress and ethanol.
- Analysis of neurotransmitter release (noradrenaline, dopamine) in specific brain regions using in vivo microdialysis.
Main Results:
- Stress generally increases ethanol ingestion, especially after stress exposure ends.
- Ethanol administration attenuated stress-induced noradrenaline release in the amygdala and locus coeruleus, potentially reducing anxiety.
- Ethanol increased dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens, similar to addictive drugs, suggesting a neurochemical basis for repeated drinking.
Conclusions:
- Ethanol may alleviate stress-induced tension by modulating noradrenergic pathways.
- Ethanol's effect on dopamine release provides a potential neurochemical explanation for the motivation behind habitual ethanol consumption.