FASD News - 12/2013

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS and ARTICLES

BBC (UK) - Oxford trust publishes alcohol-related foetus disorder guidelines

A charity has published recommendations for medical staff to tackle a foetal disorder caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

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Hibbing Daily Tribune (USA) - County program helps fight fetal alcohol syndrome

A St. Louis County program that assists pregnant women addicted to alcohol or other drugs received some national attention this winter.

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Alberta Daily Herald Tribune (Canada) - New mobile clinic for Grande Prairie FASD

Those dealing with, or who have a child dealing with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) now have better access to services with the addition of a mobile program offered by the North West FASD Service Network.

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Science Network (Australia) - Population based study provides new alcohol and pregnancy data

BOTH Indigenous and non-Indigenous children of mothers with an alcohol-use disorder have the same risk of intellectual disability, a Curtin University study has found.

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ABC (Australia) - Drinking during pregnancy affecting development in Gippsland's Indigenous children

The negative effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy are showing up in Indigenous children in Gippsland says Michael Moyle, one of the speakers at a recent Indigenous Health Forum in Inverloch. He was speaking about his experience with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder or FASD.

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Mother Nature Network - Light drinking while pregnant could lower baby's IQ

Bad news for moms-to-be: Drinking even a few alcoholic beverages per week during pregnancy could lower a baby's IQ by a few points, a new study has found.

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UPCOMING

University of Alaska - FASD: Best Practices in the Last Frontier

The Arctic FASD Regional Training Center and the University of Alaska Anchorage Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services invite you to attend the 2013 conference on FASDs: FASD: Best Practices in the Last Frontier.

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CAPHC - A Novel Screening Test for the Behavioral Phenotype of FASD

The NST is a simple pen and paper questionnaire, which is based on 10 individual items representing common areas of parent reported behavioural concerns in children with FASD. It is intended to be used as a brief screening instrument as part of a diagnostic interview conducted by a psychologist, in a variety of settings. Join us For a Webinar on April 19, 1:00 - 2:30 pm EDT.

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MATERIALS and VIDEOS

Girls Action Foundation - GIRLS ACTION ON GIRLS AND HEALTHY LIVING (Infographic)

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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Social Marketing Campaign

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RESEARCH

PLOS - Violence against People with Disability in England and Wales: Findings from a National Cross-Sectional Survey

The recent World Report on Disability highlighted violence as a leading cause of morbidity among disabled people. However, we know little about the extent to which people with disability experience different violence types, and associated health/economic costs. The recent introduction of disability measures into the England&Wales victimization survey provided an opportunity to address this gap.

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PLOS - Alcohol Production as an Adaptive Livelihood Strategy for Women Farmers in Tanzania and Its Potential for Unintended Consequences on Women’s Reproductive Health

Although women occupy a central position in agriculture in many developing countries, they face numerous constraints to achieving their full potential including unequal access to assets and limited decision-making authority.

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Alcoholism - Prenatal Ethanol Exposure Delays the Onset of Spermatogenesis in the Rat

During late prenatal and early postnatal life, the reproductive system in males undergoes an extensive series of physiological and morphological changes.

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Maternal and Child Health Journal - Prevalence and Correlates of Drinking in Early Pregnancy Among Women who Stopped Drinking on Pregnancy Recognition

Women most at risk for drinking and binge drinking in early pregnancy were younger in age and exhibited risky drinking behaviour prior to pregnancy. A targeted intervention to reduce the risk for an alcohol exposed pregnancy is warranted for sexually active younger women in New Zealand and elsewhere.

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Alcohol Research Center Battles Addiction with Science

The University of Connecticut Alcohol Research Center achieved a milestone recently when the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism renewed the center’s funding for another five years. Founded in 1978, the Center was already the longest-funded center, both at UConn and within the NIH/NIAAA structure. The new grant funds the ARC through late 2017, when it will mark its 40^th anniversary. Longevity isn’t the ARC’s sole claim to fame, however. Its research into the causes and treatment of alcohol disorders has led to groundbreaking advances and a worldwide reputation.  > > > >  Read More

The role of acetaldehyde in ethanol reinforcement assessed by Pavlovian conditioning in newborn rats

 

 

 

Animal studies indicate that central acetaldehyde, dependent on catalase metabolism of ethanol (EtOH), modulates ethanol reinforcement. Brain catalase activity and acetaldehyde (ACD) production are significantly higher in rat pups compared with adults. Interestingly, infant rats show high EtOH affinity for alcohol consumption and are particularly sensitive to the drug’s reinforcing effects.

 

We tested whether central ACD is necessary and sufficient to induce appetitive conditioning in newborn rats through the artificial nipple technique.

 

Vehicle, EtOH (100 mg%), and acetaldehyde (0.35 μmol) were administered into the cisterna magna (1 μl). Half of the animals also received a central administration of 75 μg (experiment 1) or 40 μg of d-penicillamine (experiment 2). Afterwards, pups were exposed to an olfactory cue (conditioned stimulus). One hour later, neonates were tested with an artificial nipple in the presence of the conditioned cue. Nipple attachment duration, mean grasp duration, and number of nipple disengagements served as dependent variables.

 

Positive responses to the scented nipple occurred in neonates conditioned with EtOH or ACD (experiments 1 and 2). In experiment 1, there were indications that d-penicillamine weakened the reinforcing effects of EtOH and ACD. In experiment 2, d-penicillamine (40 μg) significantly inhibited appetitive conditioned responses dependent upon EtOH or ACD.

 

Appetitive conditioning was observed when employing either central EtOH or ACD as unconditioned stimuli. Central abduction of ACD inhibited conditioned appetitive responsiveness to the surrogate nipple. Central ACD is involved in the determination or modulation of EtOH’s motivational properties during early stages in development.

 

 

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Request Reprint E-Mail:   smarch@immf.uncor.edu

Efficacy of d-penicillamine, a sequestering acetaldehyde agent, in the prevention of alcohol relapse-like drinking in rats

 

 

 

Nowadays, very few approved anti-relapse treatments for alcoholism exist, and their overall efficacy can be considered moderate. An exciting rationale drug development opportunity for the treatment of chronic alcoholism is the use of acetaldehyde sequestering agents. Although these compounds are able to attenuate or prevent most of the behavioral and neurochemical effects of ethanol, the efficacy of acetaldehyde sequestration, by using agents such as d-penicillamine (DP), in relapse prevention has not been studied yet.

 

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of DP treatment on the alcohol deprivation effect (ADE) in long-term ethanol-experienced rats as a model of relapse behavior and measure drug plasma and brain levels during treatment.

 

Rats were subcutaneously implanted with mini-osmotic pumps delivering 0, 0.25, or 1 mg/h of DP during 1 week. The efficacy to prevent ADE was determined. DP plasma and brain levels achieved during its subcutaneous administration were measured. In a second experiment, animals received bilateral infusions of 0 or 1.5 μg/h of DP directly into pVTA, and the appearance of ADE was evaluated.

 

One milligram per hour, but not 0.25 mg/h, DP infusion prevented ADE and reduced the total ethanol preference in animals. DP plasma concentrations associated with ADE suppression were around 3–4 μg/ml, and brain DP levels in these conditions were about 2–3 % of those found in plasma. Intra-pVTA DP administration also suppressed ADE.

 

DP is able to prevent alcohol-relapse-like drinking in rats suggesting that this drug may be a useful new tool in the management of relapse in alcohol-dependent patients.

 

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Request Reprint E-Mail:  ana.polache@uv.es

Predicting high-risk versus higher-risk substance use during late adolescence from early adolescent risk factors using latent class analysis

 

 

Much of the existing risk factor literature focuses on identifying predictors of low levels of substance use versus higher-levels of substance use. In this article, we explore more nuanced patterns of alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use during late adolescence.

 

Our aims were to: (1) identify subgroups of youth with qualitatively different patterns of ATOD use and (2) explore whether membership among qualitatively distinct, high-risk classes could be predicted based on early adolescent risk factors.

 

Data came from a selected subsample of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (n = 1689). Predictors were measured when youth were about 12 years old; ATOD use was assessed when youth were aged 17 years.

 

Results showed that adolescent ATOD use is not a homogenous behavior. Four distinct classes of adolescent ATOD users were derived. Each class had a qualitatively distinct and discriminable pattern of ATOD use. Ecological predictors were shown to differentiate between latent classes, with peer factors playing a particularly important role in differentiating between high-risk and higher-risk users.

 

Implications for prevention and limitations are discussed.

 

 

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Request Reprint E-Mail:   alamont082@gmail.com

Serbian and Austrian Alcohol-Dependent Patients: A Comparison of Two Samples Regarding Therapeutically Relevant Clinical Features

To support the Serbian Expert Board in setting up reimbursement for modern pharmacotherapeutic support, we compared a Serbian sample of alcohol-dependent patients with an Austrian sample, in order to detect differences that might inhibit the introduction of anti-craving medications in Serbia.

One hundred and twenty-seven (116 males) alcohol-dependent patients in Serbia and 136 in Austria (78 males) were enrolled consecutively from January 2011 to March 2012 and were assessed using the Lesch alcoholism typology instrument (LAT).

Age of onset was slightly higher in the Austrian sample (28.5 vs 30.0; P = 0.10). The Serbian sample showed a higher rate of anxiety disorders than the Austrian sample (89.8 vs 26.5%, P ≤ 0.0001). Suicidal tendencies, independent of alcohol intake or withdrawal syndrome, were higher in the Austrian sample (1.6 vs 13.2% P ≤ 0.0001). There was no difference between the two samples in Lesch-Type IV (26 vs 28); there was a slight excess in the Serbian sample of Type I (15 vs 10). In Austria, significantly more Type II patients (32 vs 52) had been included, while the Serbian sample comprised significantly more Type III patients.

Austrian and Serbian patients are quite similar, without any showing any factor that would detract from the potential value of modern anti-craving medications in Serbia. The differences in anxiety disorders might be due to the 1990s war and should be investigated further.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:   jakovljevicm@kg.ac.rs

Abstinence after First Acute Alcohol-Associated Pancreatitis Protects Against Recurrent Pancreatitis and Minimizes the Risk of Pancreatic Dysfunction

 
To determine the recurrence of pancreatitis and subsequent pancreatic function in patients who stop drinking after the first episode of alcohol-associated pancreatitis.

Of a total of 118 patients suffering from their first alcohol-associated pancreatitis, 18 (all men, age median 47 (27–71) years) met the inclusion criterion for abstinence during follow-up. Recurrent attacks of acute pancreatitis were studied. Smoking, body mass index and laboratory tests detecting heavy consumption of alcohol were recorded. Blood and faecal tests were studied to assess endocrine and exocrine pancreatic function.

During a mean follow-up time of 5.15 (1.83–9.13) years and a total of 92.7 patient-years, there were no recurrent attacks of acute pancreatitis among the 18 abstainers. Two patients had diabetes prior to and one was diagnosed immediately after the first episode of acute pancreatitis. One patient had impaired glucose metabolism at 2 years. Two patients had low insulin secretion in glucagon-C-peptide test, one at 4 years and the other at 5 years. Only one patient (6%) maintained low elastase-1 activity during the abstinence follow-up. Of the 100 non-abstainers, 34% had at least one recurrence during the follow-up.                    

Regardless of the mediator mechanisms of acute alcoholic pancreatitis, abstinence after the first episode protects against recurrent attacks. Pancreatic dysfunction is also rare among abstinent patients.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:  juhani.sand@pshp.fi

Self-Affirmation, Intentions and Alcohol Consumption in Students: A Randomized Exploratory Trial

This study tests whether enhancing alcohol risk messages with self-affirmation, the process of focusing on cherished aspects of oneself, increases intentions to reduce alcohol consumption and reduces actual alcohol consumption. It was also examined whether these effects differed by risk status as indicated by standard drinks consumed in an average week.
 Participants (n = 121) were randomly allocated to a self-affirmation or matched control condition before viewing emotive graphic alcohol warning posters in a questionnaire-based study.

There were significant increases in intentions to reduce alcohol consumption in self-affirmed participants, and these effects were stronger in participants with higher behavioural risk. Intentions in turn significantly predicted a reduction in self-reported alcohol consumption.

These findings support the use of self-affirmation to enhance alcohol awareness campaigns, particularly in individuals with high behavioural risk.                 


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Request Reprint E-Mail: benjamin.schuez@utas.edu.auail:  

The µ-Opioid Receptor and Treatment Response to Naltrexone

 

To evaluate the pharmacogenetic evidence relating to the use of opioid antagonists (in particular naltrexone) in treating patients with alcohol abuse problems.

Narrative review of pre-clinical and clinical published research regarding genetic modulation of psychotropic effects produced by alcohol and the therapeutic effects of opioid antagonists.

Alcohol activates brain reward pathways, leading to positive reinforcement of alcohol seeking and consumption. Thus, the underlying biological mechanisms may be targets for treatment, particularly in the early stages of addiction development. Alcohol reward is in part mediated by endogenous opioids. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within the OPRM1 gene, A118G, leading to an amino acid change (Asn40Asp) in the extracellular portion of the receptor, has been implicated in alcoholism as well as in drug addiction, pain sensitivity and stress response, and in animal and human studies relates to the alcohol-dependent phenotype as well as to the treatment response to the µ-opioid antagonist naltrexone.

The effect size reported in naltrexone clinical studies is often small, which may be due to heterogeneity among patients. Pharmacogenetic approaches may help guide us in the search for the appropriate treatment optimal for one patient's need.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:    annika.thorsell@liu.se

Diets of drinkers on drinking and nondrinking days: NHANES 2003–2008

Alcohol may affect dietary intake. However, little is known about diets on drinking days in the US population. 
                

We determined whether the diets of drinkers differ on drinking compared with nondrinking days. 

                

 Data were from the 2003–2008 NHANES Mobile Examination Center interview. We identified 1864 current drinkers (1126 men and 738 women) who completed two 24-h dietary recalls, one of which was on a drinking day and the other of which was on a nondrinking day. Sex-specific repeated-measures analyses that were adjusted for dietary recall order and recall day of the week were used to compare within-individual differences in energy, nutrient, and food-group intakes. Analyses were weighted to produce representative estimates.

On their drinking (compared with nondrinking) days, men consumed an excess 168 nonalcohol kcal (P < 0.01), which was reflected in higher intakes of nutrients including total protein (P < 0.001), total fat (P < 0.01), saturated fat (P < 0.01), monounsaturated fat (P < 0.01), potassium (P < 0.001), and sodium (P < 0.05). Men also had higher intakes of food groups including meat (P < 0.001), white potatoes (P < 0.05), and discretionary oil and solid fat (P < 0.05) and lower intakes of total fruit (P < 0.05) and milk (P < 0.05). Women did not consume excess nonalcohol kilocalories but had higher intakes of total fat (P < 0.05), monounsaturated fat (P < 0.05), polyunsaturated fat (P < 0.05), potassium (P < 0.01), and discretionary oil and solid fat (P < 0.05) and lower intakes of milk (P < 0.01) and milk products (P < 0.01). 

                

These mostly moderate drinkers had poorer diets on drinking days. Same-day associations between alcohol and diet could be useful targets for public health efforts to improve dietary intake.

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Request Reprint E-Mail:    rbreslow@mail.nih.gov

April 17 Webinar: Shape of the Solution to Underage Drinking

A free 75-minute webinar, taking place on Wednesday, April 17, 2013, from 2:00 to 3:15 p.m. EDT, will focus on evidence-based strategies for preventing underage drinking that are age and culturally appropriate and address both individual and environmental factors. This webinar will be the third in the 2013 series of underage drinking prevention webinars sponsored by the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD). The series features national leaders and experts discussing the extent and nature of the problem, lessons from recent research, and evidence-based strategies for addressing underage drinking. Presenters on April 17 will be:

• Frances M. Harding, Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA);
• Kelli A. Komro, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor in the Department of Health Outcomes and Policy within the College of Medicine and the Associate Director of the Institute for Child Health Policy at the University of Florida;
• Robert F. Saltz, Ph.D., Senior Scientist for the Prevention Research Center in Berkeley, California; and
• Richard Spoth, Ph.D., F. Wendell Miller Senior Prevention Scientist and Director of the Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute, Iowa State University.

This webinar is being presented by four ICCPUD members: the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and SAMHSA; SAMHSA is the lead agency for ICCPUD. Advance registration is now open.

Report to Congress on the Prevention and Reduction of Underage Drinking

Reports on the prevalence and nature of underage drinking and the national efforts and best practices to address the problem. Also reports on state policies, enforcement activities, and prevention programs underway to address underage drinking.

Underage drinking and associated problems have profound negative consequences for underage drinkers, their families, their communities, and society as a whole. Underage drinking contributes to a wide range of costly health and social problems, including motor vehicle crashes (the greatest single mortality risk for underage drinkers); suicide; interpersonal violence (e.g., homicides, assaults, rapes); unintentional injuries such as burns, falls, and drowning; brain impairment; alcohol dependence; risky sexual activity; academic problems; and alcohol and drug poisoning. On average, alcohol is a factor in the deaths of approximately 4,700 youths in the United States per year, shortening their lives by an average of 60 years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] Alcohol-Related Disease Impact [ARDI] software, 2011).

Data show meaningful reductions in underage drinking, particularly among younger age groups. From 2004 to 2010, young people ages 12 to 20 showed statistically significant declines in both past-month alcohol use and binge alcohol use. These encouraging results were most significant in the 12- to 17-year-old age group, where past-month alcohol use declined by 22.7 percent and past-month binge drinking declined by 29.7 percent.

But there is still cause for concern. For example, in 2010, 37 percent of 20-year-olds reported binge drinking (drinking at levels substantially increasing the risk of injury or death) in the past 30 days; about 14 percent of 20-year-olds had, in those 30 days, binged five or more times.

Furthermore, although drinking levels are lower at younger ages, patterns of consumption across the age spectrum pose significant threats to health and well-being. Particularly troubling is the erosion of the traditional gap between underage males and females in binge drinking. This gap is disappearing as females’ drinking practices converge with those of males. Thus, females are at increasing risk of alcohol-related mortality and morbidity, including sexual violence.

Still, there is reason for optimism and hope for continued progress. As discussed in Chapters 3 and 4 of this Report, States are increasingly adopting comprehensive policies and practices to alter the individual and environmental factors that contribute to underage drinking and its consequences; these can be expected to reduce alcohol-related death and disability and associated healthcare costs. These efforts can potentially reduce underage drinking and its consequences and change norms that support underage drinking in American communities.



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Read Executive Summary   (PDF)

Mifepristone Pretreatment Reduces Ethanol Withdrawal Severity In Vivo

 

Prolonged ethanol (EtOH) intake may perturb function of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in a manner that promotes dependence and influences EtOH withdrawal severity. Prior in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that corticosteroids, in particular, may be elevated during EtOH intoxication and withdrawal, suggesting that intracellular glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) may promote the development of EtOH dependence.

 
Daily mean EtOH doses for D1 to D4 of the regimen were 14.4, 9.9, 7.1, and 8.6 g/kg, respectively. The EtOH gavage regimen produced mean BELs of 255 mg/dl at 0900 on D2 and 156.2 mg/dl at 0900 on D4 of the regimen. Withdrawal from the EtOH exposure regimen, beginning 10 hours after the last EtOH administration, produced significant elevations in BCL and behavioral abnormalities including tremors, stereotypy, and “wet dog shakes.” Mifepristone administration did not alter food intake or weight during the 4-day regimen, nor were there drug-dependent differences in BEL or BCL on withdrawal day. Although mifepristone produced no significant changes in behavior of EtOH-naïve animals, pretreatment with mifepristone (40 mg/kg) significantly reduced the severity of EtOH withdrawal.
 

Findings suggest that activation of GRs promotes neuroadaptation to binge-like EtOH exposure, contributing to the development of EtOH dependence. Further, GRs may represent therapeutic targets to be exploited in reducing the severity of EtOH withdrawal.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:   prender@email.uky.edu

Examining the Relationship Between Alcohol-Energy Drink Risk Profiles and High-Risk Drinking Behaviors

The mixing of alcohol and energy drinks (AMEDs) is a trend among college students associated with higher rates of heavy episodic drinking and negative alcohol-related consequences. The goals of this study were to take a person-centered approach to identify distinct risk profiles of college students based on AMED-specific constructs (expectancies, attitudes, and norms) and examine longitudinal associations between AMED use, drinking, and consequences.

A random sample of incoming freshmen (n = 387, 59% female) completed measures of AMED use, AMED-specific expectancies, attitudes, and normative beliefs, and drinking quantity and alcohol-related consequences. Data were collected at 2 occasions: spring semester of freshmen year and fall semester of sophomore year.

 

Latent profile analysis identified 4 subgroups of individuals: occasional AMED, anti-AMED, pro-AMED, and strong peer influence. Individuals in the pro-AMED group reported the most AMED use, drinking, and consequences. There was a unique association between profile membership and AMED use, even after controlling for drinking.

 

Findings highlighted the importance of AMED-specific expectancies, attitudes, and norms. The unique association between AMED risk profiles and AMED use suggests AMED use is a distinct behavior that could be targeted by AMED-specific messages included in existing brief interventions for alcohol use.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:    lvweld@psu.edu

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly with Alcohol Use and Abuse on the Heart

Since its advent, alcohol has been utilized throughout history socially, for rituals, worship, and for its therapeutic, antibacterial, and analgesic properties. In moderation, alcohol consumption and its use are generally viewed as clinically beneficial. Excessive alcohol consumption on the other hand has been recognized as having several adverse implications. Excessive use increases the risk of liver and heart disease, metabolic disturbances, nutritional deficiencies, certain cancers, brain damage, dementia, neuropathy, as well as other facets of morbidity and mortality.

This review targets the sequelae of alcohol consumption on the heart, specifically on myocardial contractility, calcium channel signaling, and intracellular signaling pathways. With the incidence of alcohol-induced cardiac abnormalities being higher than previously thought, it is of increasing importance to elucidate the mechanisms behind them. Here, the cardiac effects of alcohol were not discussed in isolation but in conjunction with other important factors, such as high- and low-density lipoprotein levels and vascular dilatory influences. We explore these mechanisms, in particular, the oxidative stress as the major contributor, as well as pathways that may prove to be cardioprotective.

As such, we demonstrate the involvement of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NFE2L2/NRF2) as well as AKT that act as regulators of oxidative balance during oxidative stress responses.

Thus, alcohol consumption may confer a cardioprotective effect when used in moderation through an AKT/NRF2-dependent mechanism.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:    ghaddad@howard.edu

Activation of Cardiac Fibroblasts by Ethanol Is Blocked by TGF-β Inhibition

Alcohol abuse is the second leading cause of dilated cardiomyopathy, a disorder specifically referred to as alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM). Rodent and human studies have revealed cardiac fibrosis to be a consequence of ACM, and prior studies by this laboratory have associated this occurrence with elevated transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and activated fibroblasts (myofibroblasts). To date, there have been no other studies to investigate the direct effect of alcohol on the cardiac fibroblast.

 

Primary rat cardiac fibroblasts were cultured in the presence of ethanol (EtOH) and assayed for fibroblast activation by collagen gel contraction, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, migration, proliferation, apoptosis, collagen I and III, and TGF-β expression. The TGF-β receptor type 1 inhibitor compound SB 431542 and a soluble recombinant TGF-βII receptor (RbII) were used to assess the role of TGF-β in the response of cardiac fibroblasts to EtOH.

 

Treatment for cardiac fibroblasts with EtOH at concentrations of 100 mg/dl or higher resulted in fibroblast activation and fibrogenic activity after 24 hours including an increase in contraction, α-SMA expression, migration, and expression of collagen I and TGF-β. No changes in fibroblast proliferation or apoptosis were observed. Inhibition of TGF-β by SB 431542 and RbII attenuated the EtOH-induced fibroblast activation.

 

EtOH treatment directly promotes cardiac fibroblast activation by stimulating TGF-β release from fibroblasts. Inhibiting the action of TGF-β decreases the fibrogenic effect induced by EtOH treatment. The results of this study support TGF-β to be an important component in cardiac fibrosis induced by exposure to EtOH.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:  brittany.a.law@gmail.com

The Effects of Alcohol on Responses to Nicotine-Containing and Denicotinized Cigarettes in Dependent and Nondaily Smokers

 
Alcohol consumption has been linked to increased tobacco use and craving in both dependent and nondaily smokers, yet the extent to which these relationships depend on interactions involving nicotine remains unclear. This study examined the acute effects of alcohol on the subjective and behavioral responses to nicotine-containing tobacco and denicotinized tobacco in 17 (10 male) dependent daily smokers (DDS) and 23 (11 male) nondependent nondaily smokers (NNS).

 

During 4 randomized double-blind sessions, participants assessed the effects of nicotine-containing tobacco or denicotinized tobacco following the administration of a moderately intoxicating dose of alcohol (mean blood alcohol concentration = 0.076 g/dl) or a placebo beverage. They could then self-administer additional puffs of the same type of cigarette sampled over a 60-minute period using a progressive ratio task.

 

In NNS, alcohol significantly increased the self-administration of both nicotine-containing and denicotinized cigarettes, and no differences in self-administration were observed between the 2 types of tobacco within either beverage condition. In contrast, in DDS, alcohol was associated with decreased denicotinized tobacco self-administration relative to the placebo beverage condition as well as with increased self-administration of nicotine-containing tobacco relative to denicotinized tobacco. DDS also exhibited relatively elevated craving following the administration of a nicotine-containing cigarette in the alcohol beverage condition.

 

Findings suggest that nicotine may be critical to the drinking–smoking relationship in DDS, but that nonnicotine smoking factors may be more important in NNS.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:  sean.barrett@dal.ca

The Alcohol Deprivation Effect: Marked Inhibition by Anticatalase Gene Administration into the Ventral Tegmental Area in Rats

Animals that have chronically consumed alcohol and are subsequently deprived of it markedly increase their intake above basal levels when access to alcohol is reinstated. Such an effect, termed the alcohol deprivation effect (ADE), has been proposed to reflect (i) an obsessive–compulsive behavior, (ii) craving, or (iii) an increased reinforcing value of ethanol (EtOH). It has been reported that acetaldehyde, a highly reinforcing metabolite of EtOH, is generated in the brain by the action of catalase. Recent studies show that the administration of an anticatalase (shRNA)-encoding lentiviral vector into the brain ventral tegmental area (VTA) of naïve rats virtually abolishes (85 to 95%) their EtOH intake. It is hypothesized that the antireinforcing effect of the anticatalase vector will also inhibit the ADE.

 

Two-month-old Wistar-derived UChB alcohol drinker rats were offered free access to water and 10 and 20% EtOH for 67 days. Thereafter, the animals were deprived of EtOH for 15 days and were subsequently offered access to the EtOH solutions. At the start of the deprivation period, animals were microinjected a single dose of an anticatalase (or control) vector into the VTA. EtOH intake was measured on the first hour of EtOH re-exposure as well as on a 24-hour basis for 7 days.

 

A marked ADE was observed when EtOH intake was measured on the first hour or 24 hours following EtOH re-exposure, compared to the corresponding controls. The administration of the anticatalase vector reduced ADE by 60 to 80% (p < 0.001) on the first hour and by 63 to 80% (p < 0.001) on the initial 24 hours of EtOH re-exposure (first and second ADE, respectively) without changing the total fluid intake, indicating a specific effect on EtOH drinking.

 

Ethanol intake associated with ADE—a binge-like drinking behavior—is markedly inhibited by the administration of an anticatalase vector into the VTA, which blocks the conversion of EtOH into acetaldehyde, strongly suggesting that the marked increased EtOH intake that follows an alcohol deprivation period is mediated by acetaldehyde and its reinforcing metabolite.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:    yisrael@uchile.cl

Press Release - Alcohol A Major Obstacle To Economic And Societal Development

The main theme of the three-day Conference is: Regional Health Priorities and Opportunities:  Evidence for Action in the Changing Global Financial Situation.

”We and our members from all over the EAC think it is great that this conference takes place and that it is already the fourth time it is being held,” says Moses Waweru, Chairman

of the East African Alcohol Policy Alliance (EAAPA).”We need to come together and discuss obstacles to our development, and we need more research and evidence.”

”But we also need to make sure that these types of conferences manage to address a comprehensive approach to regional health priorities,” says Aimable Mwananawe, Chairperson of RADAPA. ”In that sense I hope that this conference is not a missed opportunity to address alcohol harm and its impact in the EAC.”    > > > >   Read More

αCaMKII Autophosphorylation Controls the Establishment of Alcohol Drinking Behavior

The α-Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (αCaMKII) is a crucial enzyme controlling plasticity in the brain. The autophosphorylation of αCaMKII works as a ‘molecular memory’ for a transient calcium activation, thereby accelerating learning.
We investigated the role of αCaMKII autophosphorylation in the establishment of alcohol drinking as an addiction-related behavior in mice.

We found that alcohol drinking was initially diminished in αCaMKII autophosphorylation-deficient αCaMKII^T286A mice, but could be established at wild-type level after repeated withdrawals. The locomotor activating effects of a low-dose alcohol (2 g/kg) were absent in αCaMKII^T286A mice, whereas the sedating effects of high-dose (3.5 g/kg) were preserved after acute and subchronic administration. The in vivo microdialysis revealed that αCaMKII^T286A mice showed no dopamine (DA) response in the nucleus accumbens to acute or subchronic alcohol administration, but enhanced serotonin (5-HT) responses in the prefrontal cortex. The attenuated DA response in αCaMKII^T286A mice was in line with altered c-Fos activation in the ventral tegmental area after acute and subchronic alcohol administration.

In order to compare findings in mice with the human condition, we tested 23 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CAMK2A gene for their association with alcohol dependence in a population of 1333 male patients with severe alcohol dependence and 939 controls. We found seven significant associations between CAMK2A SNPs and alcohol dependence, one of which in an autophosphorylation-related area of the gene.

Together, our data suggest αCaMKII autophosphorylation as a facilitating mechanism in the establishment of alcohol drinking behavior with changing the DA–5-HT balance as a putative mechanism.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:   christian.mueller@uk-erlangen.de

NTA survey seeks to establish national picture of alcohol services in hospital settings

Commissioners in England are being asked to partake in a survey of alcohol services in hospital settings in England by the National Treatment Agency (NTA). The NTA are to be part of Public Health England (PHE) as of 1st April.

Investment in a variety of models of hospital based alcohol services has increased in recent years, particularly since 2009 Department of Health alcohol guidance identified 'Appoint an Alcohol Health Worker' as a 'High Impact Change'. However the extent, nature and sustainability of these services is unknown.

The survey will provide the first ever national picture of the number and nature of the alcohol services in England’s hospitals and PHE will go on to develop guidance and materials to support the continued development and delivery of such services. Iain Armstrong of the NTA has indicated around half of the key Local Authority areas have completed the survey to date, with the survey remaining open to commissioners until 5th April 2013.  > > > >  Read More

Intergenerational Transmission of Drinking Motives and How They Relate to Young Adults' Alcohol Use

This study examined whether parental drinking motives are associated with young adults' drinking motives, and their association with young adults' drinking behaviors.

The sample consisted of 290 18-year-old and 289 20-year-old drinking young adults and their parents.

For the younger group, stronger maternal coping motives were related to stronger social and enhancement motives, while stronger paternal coping motives were associated with stronger young adult coping motives. For the older group, stronger maternal coping motives were related to stronger social motives and stronger paternal enhancement motives were associated with stronger overall young adult drinking motives. For the younger group, both enhancement and conformity motives were predictive of their alcohol use. For the older group, only higher social motives were predictive of higher alcohol use. Both groups' higher coping and enhancement motives were associated with more drinking problems.

While, concerning content, there are some differences due to parent gender and adolescent age, stronger parental drinking motives are indeed associated with stronger adolescent drinking motives, which in turn are quite consistently related to more adolescent alcohol use and alcohol-related problems.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:  s.mares@pwo.ru.nl

A 26-Year Follow-Up Study of Heavy Drinking Trajectories from Adolescence to Mid-Adulthood and Adult Disadvantage

The aim of the study was to identify heavy drinking trajectories from age 16 to 42 years and to examine their associations with health, social, employment and economic disadvantage in mid-adulthood.

Finnish cohort study's participants who were 16 years old in 1983 were followed up at age 22, 32 and 42 (n = 1334). Heavy drinking was assessed at every study phase and based on these measurements trajectories of heavy drinking were identified. The trajectory groups were then examined as predictors of disadvantage at age 42.

Five distinct heavy drinking trajectories were identified: moderate (35%), steady low (22%), decreasing (9%), increasing (11%) and steady high (23%). Frequencies of the trajectory groups differed by gender. Using the moderate trajectory as a reference category, women in the steady high trajectory had an increased risk of experiencing almost all disadvantages at age 42. In men, increasing and steady high groups had an increased risk for experiencing health and economic disadvantage.
Steady high female drinkers and steady high and increasing male drinkers had the highest risk for disadvantage in mid-adulthood. By identifying heavy drinking trajectories from adolescence to mid-adulthood we can better predict long-term consequences of heavy alcohol use and plan prevention and intervention programmes.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:    noora.berg@thl.fi

Critique 107: Little effect on child’s mental functioning associated with mother’s light, occasional drinking in early pregnancy – 25 March 2013

Forum Comments

While any alcohol consumption during pregnancy is not encouraged, and heavy drinking is associated with an increase in risk of a number of adverse health outcomes in the fetus, there is controversy as to whether the occasional drink by the mother during pregnancy has any detectable effect on the child. The present study is based on cognitive and behavioral assessments in a large cohort of children at age 11 in relation to the mother’s reporting of alcohol intake during the first trimester.  > > > >  Read More