The Role of Brain Glucocorticoid Systems in Alcohol Dependence
| Autor: | Annie M. Whitaker, Brittany M. Priddy, Leandro F. Vendruscolo, Scott Edwards |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
Addiction media_common.quotation_subject fungi Alcohol dependence Neurotoxicity Pharmacology medicine.disease chemistry.chemical_compound Endocrinology Alcohol intoxication Glucocorticoid receptor chemistry Corticosterone Internal medicine medicine Signal transduction Psychology Glucocorticoid media_common medicine.drug |
| Popis: | Alcohol misuse is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Repeated episodes of alcohol intoxication and withdrawal activate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, the primary neuroendocrine stress system, to release glucocorticoids, which in turn leads to an excessive activation of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). Increased activation of GRs has been shown to play a functional role in alcohol dependence, as the blockade of GRs with mifepristone significantly reduces compulsive alcohol drinking, withdrawal symptoms, and alcohol-induced neurotoxicity in rodents. Importantly, in addition to interacting with several important signal transduction pathways, GRs are transcription factors that modulate the expression of multiple stress-associated genes potentially responsible for driving compulsive drinking and relapse. Thus, the GR system represents an attractive target for drug development for the treatment of alcoholism and other stress-related disorders. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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