Age- and sex-driven alterations in alcohol consumption patterns: Role of brain ethanol metabolism and the opioidergic system in the nucleus accumbens

IF 3.3 3区 心理学 Q1 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Javier Cuitavi , Yolanda Campos-Jurado , Jesús D. Lorente , Paula Andrés-Herrera , Víctor Ferrís-Vilar , Ana Polache , Lucía Hipólito
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Alcohol consumption leads to significant neurochemical and neurobiological changes, contributing to the development of alcohol use disorders (AUDs), which exhibit sex- and age-dependent variations according to clinical data. However, preclinical studies often neglect these factors when investigating alcohol consumption patterns. In this study, we present data on male and female rats continuously exposed to a 20 % ethanol solution for one month. The animals were divided into two groups based on their age at the onset of drinking (8 and 12 weeks old). Interestingly, 12-week-old males consumed significantly less alcohol than both 12-week-old females and 8-week-old animals, indicating that alcohol consumption patterns vary with sex and age in our model. Additionally, to advance in the study of the neurobiological alterations induced by ethanol intake in the mesocorticolimbic system (MCLS) that may participate in its reinforcing properties and the maintenance of alcohol drinking behavior, we measured catalase activity—an enzyme involved in alcohol metabolism and related to ethanol reinforcement—in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of these animals. Furthermore, we measured the levels of mu (MOR), kappa (KOR), delta (DOR), and nociceptin (NOP) opioid receptors in the NAc, as the endogenous opioidergic system plays a pivotal role in regulating the MCLS and alcohol reinforcement. MOR levels were lower in high alcohol-consuming groups (8-week-old males and all females). Both DOR and NOP levels decreased with age, whereas KOR levels remained unchanged. Our findings suggest that the age at onset of alcohol consumption critically influences alcohol intake, particularly in males. Additionally, females consistently showed higher alcohol intake regardless of age, highlighting inherent sex-specific differences. The dynamic changes in catalase activity and opioid receptor expression suggest the involvement of these factors in modulating alcohol consumption.

年龄和性别驱动的酒精消费模式改变:大脑乙醇代谢和伏隔核阿片能系统的作用
饮酒会导致神经化学和神经生物学发生重大变化,从而导致酒精使用障碍(AUD)的发生,临床数据显示,酒精使用障碍的发生与性别和年龄有关。然而,临床前研究在调查酒精消费模式时往往忽略了这些因素。在本研究中,我们展示了连续暴露于 20% 乙醇溶液一个月的雄性和雌性大鼠的数据。根据动物开始饮酒时的年龄(8 周龄和 12 周龄)将其分为两组。有趣的是,12 周龄雄性大鼠的酒精消耗量明显低于 12 周龄雌性大鼠和 8 周龄大鼠,这表明在我们的模型中,酒精消耗模式随性别和年龄而变化。此外,为了进一步研究乙醇摄入诱导的中皮质边缘系统(MCLS)的神经生物学改变可能参与了乙醇的强化特性和饮酒行为的维持,我们测量了这些动物的伏隔核(NAc)中过氧化氢酶的活性--一种参与酒精代谢并与乙醇强化相关的酶。此外,我们还测量了NAc中μ(MOR)、kappa(KOR)、δ(DOR)和神经肽(NOP)阿片受体的水平,因为内源性阿片能系统在调节MCLS和酒精强化中起着关键作用。高酒精消耗组(8 周大的男性和所有女性)的 MOR 水平较低。DOR和NOP水平都随着年龄的增长而降低,而KOR水平则保持不变。我们的研究结果表明,开始饮酒的年龄对酒精摄入量有重要影响,尤其是男性。此外,无论年龄大小,女性的酒精摄入量一直较高,这凸显了固有的性别差异。过氧化氢酶活性和阿片受体表达的动态变化表明,这些因素参与了酒精消费的调节。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
6.40
自引率
2.80%
发文量
122
审稿时长
38 days
期刊介绍: Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior publishes original reports in the areas of pharmacology and biochemistry in which the primary emphasis and theoretical context are behavioral. Contributions may involve clinical, preclinical, or basic research. Purely biochemical or toxicology studies will not be published. Papers describing the behavioral effects of novel drugs in models of psychiatric, neurological and cognitive disorders, and central pain must include a positive control unless the paper is on a disease where such a drug is not available yet. Papers focusing on physiological processes (e.g., peripheral pain mechanisms, body temperature regulation, seizure activity) are not accepted as we would like to retain the focus of Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior on behavior and its interaction with the biochemistry and neurochemistry of the central nervous system. Papers describing the effects of plant materials are generally not considered, unless the active ingredients are studied, the extraction method is well described, the doses tested are known, and clear and definite experimental evidence on the mechanism of action of the active ingredients is provided.
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