Is THIS the answer to curbing binge drinking? Scientists find a brain switch that controls the desire for alcohol
Scientists have pinpointed a mechanism in receptors in the brain
These are activated by alcohol, reducing anxiety and inhibitions
People who drink a lot do not see this same activation, so continue to drink
Researchers have tested a drug in mice, which artificially activates the receptors, reducing the number of drinks the mice had
This could offer a new drug therapy to curb excessive drinking
Source: Daily Mail
By Shivali Best
30 August 2016
While some people love a drink, others are happy to stick with an alcohol-free beverage.
Now, new research has found a mechanism that appears to have a strong influence on a person’s choice on how much they drink.
The finding could offer a new target for drug therapies that could help to curb excessive drinking.
THE MECHANISM
The researchers have pinpointed a mechanism in the cerebellum – the part of the brain at the back of the skull – in small neurons called granule cells.
These cells contain proteins called GABAA receptors, which control electrical signals in the nervous system.
When the GABAA receptors are activated, they suppress brain circuits.
Alcohol itself activates GABAA receptors, suppressing brain circuits, which in turns reduces anxiety. However, the activation of these receptors is also what causes slurred speech and stumbling.
Researchers from the Oregon Health and Science University say that the finding could be particularly effective in treating problem drinkers – half of whom are believed to have a genetically determined tendency to abuse alcohol.
Professor David Rossi, who led the study, said: ‘It takes them from drinking the equivalent of three to four units of alcohol in one to two hours, down to one to two.’
The researchers have pinpointed a mechanism in the cerebellum – the part of the brain at the back of the skull – in small neurons called granule cells.
These cells contain proteins called GABAA receptors, which control electrical signals in the nervous system.
When the GABAA receptors are activated, as they are with alcohol, they suppress brain circuits, reducing anxiety and social inhibitions, as well as slurring speech and affecting the ability to walk.
However, alcohol does not have the same effect on every brain – some people get drunk after just a few drinks, while others have a much higher capacity.
The researchers looked at the brains of two specially bred mice.
The D2 mouse quickly gets drunk, and will stop drinking after a few drinks.
In contrast with this, the B6 mouse can drink three times the amount of alcohol without seeing the same effect, and will continue to binge.
Professor Rossi said: ‘It mirrors the human situation.
‘If you’re sensitive to the motor-impairing effects of alcohol, you don’t tend to drink much. If you’re not sensitive, you drink more.’
Looking at the brains of the two strains of mice, the researchers saw clear differences in the way the GABAA receptors reacted to alcohol.
When the B6 mouse drank, the GABAA receptors were suppressed, whereas in the D2 mouse, they were not.
However, when the researchers injected a drug called THIP into the cerebellum of the B6 mouse, this artificially activated the GABAA receptor, recreating the effect alcohol had on the D2 mouse.
This deterred the B6 mice from drinking.
The researchers say that the finding highlights a new region and new targets that can be manipulated to ‘deter excessive alcohol consumption, potentially with fewer side effects than other existing targets.’
However, the THIP drug has so far only been tested in mice, and will need further testing before it will be considered for use in humans.
Related news: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160830083707.htm