Chronic alcohol use reshapes the brain's immune landscape, driving anxiety and addiction:
Deep within the brain, a small almond-shaped region called the amygdala plays a vital role in how we exhibit emotion, behavior and motivation. Understandably, it's also strongly implicated in alcohol abuse, making it a long-running focus of Marisa Roberto, PhD, professor in Scripps Research's Department of Molecular Medicine.
Now, for the first time, Roberto and her team have identified important changes to anti-inflammatory mechanisms and cellular activity in the amygdala that drive alcohol addiction. By countering this process in mice, they were able to stop excessive alcohol consumption—revealing a potential treatment path for alcohol use disorder.
[...] "We found that chronic alcohol exposure compromises brain immune cells, which are important for maintaining healthy neurons," says Reesha Patel, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in Roberto's lab and first author of the study. "The resulting damage fuels anxiety and alcohol drinking that may lead to alcohol use disorder."
Roberto's study looked specifically at an immune protein called Interleukin 10, or IL-10, which is prevalent in the brain. IL-10 is known to have potent anti-inflammatory properties, which ensures that the immune system doesn't respond too powerfully to disease threats. In the brain, IL-10 helps to limit inflammation from injury or disease, such as stroke or Alzheimer's. But it also appears to influence key behaviors associated with chronic alcohol use.
In mice with chronic alcohol use, IL-10 was significantly reduced in the amygdala and didn't signal properly to neurons, contributing to increased alcohol intake. By boosting IL-10 signaling in the brain, however, the scientists could reverse the aberrant effects. Notably, they observed a stark reduction in anxiety-like behaviors and motivation to drink alcohol.
[...] Alcohol use disorder is widespread, affecting some 15 million people in the United States, and few effective treatments exist.
Journal Reference:
Reesha Patel, Sarah Wolfe, Michal Bajo, et al. IL-10 normalizes aberrant amygdala GABA transmission and reverses anxiety-like behavior and dependence-induced escalation of alcohol intake, Progress in Neurobiology (DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101952)
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 17 2020, @08:28AM (6 children)
> Chronic alcohol use reshapes the brain's immune landscape, driving anxiety and addiction:
Anxiety Reshapes the Brain’s Immune Landscape, Driving Chronic Alcohol Use and Addiction
(Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Tuesday November 17 2020, @09:31AM (5 children)
You see, just for the saké of completeness: Addiction Reshapes the Brain’s Immune Landscape, Driving Chronic Alcohol Use and Anxiety. (grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 17 2020, @09:37AM (1 child)
I see, it's a chicken and egg thing but with 3 things.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday November 17 2020, @07:17PM
Is the third a waffle?
'Cause I'm hungover and that sounds great!
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday November 17 2020, @02:19PM
A rosé by any other name, smells the same?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday November 17 2020, @07:15PM (1 child)
So what you are both saying is that Alcohol is the cause of, and solution to, all the world's problems!
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday November 17 2020, @10:31PM
Except for the many things insoluble in alcohol, yes, but that's not a problem.
For example, magnesium sulfate which one can use to get out the last 2-3% of water out of the alcohol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Tuesday November 17 2020, @09:44AM (2 children)
It must be destroyed.
Bad decisions, great stories
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 17 2020, @09:59AM
There are so many effective ways. Oh my goodness! Check you PMs.
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Thursday November 19 2020, @07:11PM
They'll take my beer when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers.
(Score: 2) by crafoo on Tuesday November 17 2020, @11:21AM (3 children)
I can't read the article without paying? so.... what was the point of posting this?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 17 2020, @01:49PM (1 child)
It's available on scihooters bla bla
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 17 2020, @05:57PM
Did you say Hooters? I heard Hooters. I'll go there instead.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday November 17 2020, @02:21PM
So we can opine on how one should always use hydrogen peroxide instead of alcohol. Obviously.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 17 2020, @06:17PM
Require chronic alcohol use.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 17 2020, @09:42PM (1 child)
Now we know! He isn't really a bigoted asshole, he just drank too much near the border and that anxiety has made him paranoid. Paired with Fox 'news' watching he really is the victim here.
(Score: -1) by Ethanol-fueled on Thursday November 19 2020, @03:15PM
Too many bad minorities nearby, not enough good ones. Plus Jews trying to force us into being submissive cattle with masks and lockdowns.
Since the nearby minority problem probably isn't gonna get better, perhaps its finally time to move to where there are no minorities. It's not like my favorite bars are gonna open anytime soon anyway.