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The role of neuromodulatory peptides in the aetiology of alcoholism has been relatively under-explored; however, the development of selective ligands for neuropeptide receptors, the characterization and cloning of receptors, and the development of transgenic mouse models have greatly facilitated this analysis. The present review considers the most recent preclinical evidence obtained from animal models for the role of two of the opioid peptides, namely b-endorphin and enkephalin; corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), urocortin I and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in deleterious and excessive alcohol consumption, focussing on specific brain regions, in particular the central nucleus of the amygdala, that appear to be implicated in the pathophysiology of alcoholism. The review also outlines potential directions for further research to clarify neuropeptide involvement in neuromodulation within discrete brain nuclei pertinent to behavioural patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Relapse after abstinence can be modelled in rats using an alcohol deprivation effect (ADE) of enhanced ethanol consumption after a period of enforced abstinence from ethanol; however, not all rat strains display such an effect. We wanted to examine the effect of naltrexone on ethanol consumption by ethanol-preferring Fawn-Hooded (FH) rats using such a model. Method: FH rats were given continual free-choice access to a 5% ethanol solution or water (4 weeks) followed by 2 weeks of water alone. At the end of this abstinence period, osmotic minipumps were implanted subcutaneously to deliver saline ( n= 4) or naltrexone ( n= 4; 8.4 mgkgiday for 4 weeks). After recovery from surgery, the rats were again given access to 5% ethanol under the same free-choice conditions (4 weeks). A third group of age-matched controls drank only water during the behavioral trial. At the end of the behavioral trial, the rats were decapitated and an autoradiographic examination was made of μ-opioid receptor density through the forebrain using the ligand [125I]FK-33824. Result: First, a period of enforced abstinence from ethanol consumption caused a significant ( p < 0.05) and prolonged increase in ethanol preference (+18%) and decrease in water consumption (-53%), although the volume of ethanol consumed (ml/day) did not vary, indicating an atypical ADE in this rat strain. Second, naltrexone significantly ( p < 0.05) decreased ethanol consumption by the FH rats in terms of absolute amount of ethanol consumed and preference for ethanol solution, but this effect of naltrexone diminished over time, concurrent with a robust and significant elevation in μ-opioid receptor density in all brain regions examined ( p < 0.05). Finally, ethanol consumption alone also upregulated μ-opioid receptor density relative to nondrinking controls in a number of brain regions, which included the nucleus accumbens (+29%) and caudate-putamen (+ 15%, p < 0.05), but decreased μ-opioid receptor density in other regions including the substantia nigra pars reticulata, which was suggestive of an indirect effect on μ-opioid receptors. Conclusions: The data suggest that continual long-term naltrexone treatment may not be effective in the treatment of alcoholism, possibly because of the induced increase in μ-opioid receptor density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adenosine and glutamate have been implicated as mediators involved in the self-administration of alcohol. In the present study we sought to determine whether adenosine receptors could interact with metabotropic glutamate receptors to regulate operant responding for alcohol and also the integration of the salience of alcohol-paired cues. Alcohol-preferring (iP) rats were trained to self-administer alcohol under operant conditions. The availability of alcohol was paired with an olfactory cue plus a stimulus light. Rats were examined under fixed ratio responding and also following extinction under a cue-induced reinstatement paradigm. Administration of the selective adenosine A2A receptor antagonist, SCH 58261, reduced fixed ratio responding for alcohol in iP rats in a dose-related manner. Furthermore, the combination of a subthreshold dose of SCH 58261 with a subthreshold dose of the mGlu5 receptor antagonist MTEP also reduced alcohol self-administration and increased the latency to the first reinforced response, suggesting a pre-ingestive effect. Moreover, this combination of SCH 58261 and MTEP also prevented the conditioned reinstatement of alcohol-seeking elicited by the re-presentation of cues previously paired with alcohol availability. In contrast, combinations of the selective adenosine A1 receptor antagonist, DPCPX, with either SCH 58261 or MTEP had no effect on alcohol responding. Collectively, these data suggest a functional interaction between adenosine A2A and mGlu5 receptors in relation to alcohol-seeking and the integration of the drug-related cues.

Specific inbred mouse strains such as C57BL/6J and DBA/2J show differences in consumption of and reaction on drugs of abuse. For example, C57BL/6J mice voluntarily consume greater amounts of ethanol than DBA/2J mice. Recently, it could be shown that a short environmental experience--12 days of food shortage followed by a recovery period--has a strong impact on strain-specific reactions to amphetamine. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether food shortage experience has an effect on ethanol responses. The effect of a period of 12 days food restriction which resulted in a weight loss of 20% body weight and which was followed by a complete recovery period was studied on ethanol self-administration and ethanol-induced locomotor activity in C57BL/6Ico and DBA/2Ico inbred mouse strains. The experience of food shortage led to a higher ethanol intake and preference in C57BL/6Ico mice compared to control animals without food shortage experience. In contrast DBA/2Ico showed no difference in ethanol intake or preference following this experience. The effect of ethanol onto locomotor activity of both mice strains was affected only in the case of DBA/2Ico mice, where food shortage experience resulted in a significantly higher ethanol-induced locomotor activity. The present data show that in inbred mouse strains environmental experiences can have a strong impact onto the effects of ethanol. In conclusion, in the field of preclinical alcohol research gene x environment interactions in specific inbred mouse strains can contribute strongly to the outcome of studies and more specifically food shortage can profoundly affect the outcome of alcohol studies in mice.