An international website dedicated to providing current information on news, reports, publications,and peer-reviewed research articles concerning alcoholism and alcohol-related problems throughout the world. Postings are provided by international contributors who monitor news, publications and research findings in their country, geographical region or program area of interest. All postings are entered without editorial or contributor opinion or comment.
Aims
To support the free and open dissemination of research findings and information on alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. To encourage open access to peer-reviewed articles free for all to view.
For full versions of posted research articles readers are encouraged to email requests for "electronic reprints" (text file, PDF files, FAX copies) to the corresponding or lead author, who is highlighted in the posting.
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For full versions of posted research articles readers are encouraged to email requests for "electronic reprints" (text file, PDF files, FAX copies) to the corresponding or lead author, who is highlighted in the posting.
___________________________________________
Friday, November 2, 2012
Moderate drinking? Alcohol consumption significantly decreases neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus
Drinking alcohol in moderation is often considered a health-conscious behavior, associated with improved cardiovascular and brain health. However, “moderate” amounts of alcohol include drinking 3–4 alcohol beverages in a day, which is closer to binge drinking and may do more harm than good.
Here we examined how daily drinking of moderate-high alcohol alters the production of new neurons in the adult hippocampus.
Male and female adult Sprague–Dawley rats were provided free access to a liquid replacement diet that was supplemented with either 4% ethanol or Maltodextrin for a period of 2 weeks. Proliferating cells were labeled with 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and the number of BrdU-positive cells in the hippocampus was assessed after the final day of drinking. A subset of rats was also exposed to a motor skill or associative learning task to examine the functional effects of alcohol consumption. The drinking regime resulted in an average blood alcohol concentration of approximately 0.08%, which is comparable to the human legal driving limit in many countries.
This level of intoxication did not impair motor skill learning or function in either sex, nor did the alcohol consumption disrupt associative learning 2 days after drinking.
Therefore, moderate alcohol consumption did not disrupt basic sensory, motor or learning processes. However, the number of cells produced in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus was reduced by nearly 40%. Thus, even moderate consumption of alcohol for a relatively short period of time can have profound effects on structural plasticity in the adult brain.
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Request Reprint E-Mail: shors@rutgers.edu
Polyphosphoinositide Metabolism and Golgi Complex Morphology in Hippocampal Neurons in Primary Culture is Altered by Chronic Ethanol Exposure
Ethanol affects not only the cytoskeletal organization and activity, but also intracellular trafficking in neurons in the primary culture. Polyphosphoinositide (PPIn) are essential regulators of many important cell functions, including those mentioned, cytoskeleton integrity and intracellular vesicle trafficking. Since information about the effect of chronic ethanol exposure on PPIn
Phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) levels as well as the activity and/or levels of enzymes involved in their metabolism were analysed in neurons chronically exposed to ethanol. The levels of phospholipases C and D, and phosphatidylethanol formation were also assessed. The consequence of the possible alterations in the levels of PtdIns on the Golgi complex (GC) was also analysed.
We show that phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate and phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate levels, both involved in the control of intracellular trafficking and cytoskeleton organization, decrease in ethanol-exposed hippocampal neurons. In contrast, several kinases that participate in the metabolism of these phospholipids, and the level and/or activity of phospholipases C and D, increase in cells after ethanol exposure. Ethanol also promotes phosphatidylethanol formation in neurons, which can result in the suppression of phosphatidic acid synthesis and, therefore, in PPIn biosynthesis. This treatment also lowers the phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate levels, the main PPIn in the GC, with alterations in their morphology and in the levels of some of the proteins involved in structure maintenance
The deregulation of the metabolism of PtdIns may underlie the ethanol-induced alterations on different neuronal processes, including intracellular trafficking and cytoskeletal integrity.
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Request Reprint E-Mail: renau_jai@gva.es
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Wednesday, October 31, 2012
TACR1 Genotypes Predict fMRI Response to Alcohol Cues and Level of Alcohol Dependence
The tachykinin receptor 1 (TACR1) gene is a promising candidate gene in the search for the genetic basis of alcohol dependence (AD); TACR1 antagonists improve symptomology not only in preclinical models of AD but also in a clinical sample of detoxified alcoholics (George et al., Science 319:1536, 2008). The purpose of the current study was to determine whether TACR1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with (i) blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) activation in response to gustatory alcohol cues in a sample of heavy drinkers and (ii) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , 4th edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR) AD symptom count in a large, publicly available data set—the Study of Addictions: Genetics and Environment Genome Wide Association study (SAGE GWAS) (Bierut et al., 2010).
First, we examined relationships between TACR1 genotypes and neural responses during a craving task in 326 individuals with alcohol use disorders. Next, correlational analyses between 69 TACR1 SNPs and DSM-IV-TR AD symptoms were performed on the SAGE data set.
rs3771863, rs3755459, and rs1106855 predicted BOLD activation in response to alcohol cues in those same reward and reinforcement brain areas, especially in the medial prefrontal cortex, striatum, and insula. rs3771863 also predicted AD symptom count in the SAGE data set and BOLD activation in the mesocorticolimbic pathway response to alcohol cues.
Each of the 5 SNPs in the TACR1 gene that was significantly related to AD severity in the SAGE data set and/or the BOLD response to the craving task is near the 3′ or 5′ areas of the gene and may therefore be near mutations with potential functional significance.
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Request Reprint E-Mail: sara.blaine@colorado.edu
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Request Reprint E-Mail: sara.blaine@colorado.edu
Combined Proteomic Analysis of Liver Tissue and Serum in Chronically Alcohol-Fed Rats
Proteomic approaches may provide new insights into pathological conditions associated with alcoholism. The aim of this study was to conduct a proteomic analysis of liver tissue and serum in chronically alcohol-fed rats using agarose 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and 3-step serum proteome analysis.
A total of 12 rats were pair-fed nutritionally adequate liquid diet containing ethanol as 36% of the total energy or an isocaloric control diet for 2 months. Rat liver homogenates and cytosol fractions were subjected to agarose 2-DE. Serum samples were subjected to 3-step serum proteome analysis involving immunodepletion of abundant proteins followed by fractionation using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and 1-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Candidate proteins were digested with trypsin and identified using mass spectrometry. Observed differences in protein expression levels were confirmed using Western blotting.
A total of 46 protein spots were found to be differentially expressed in the liver homogenates and cytosol fractions of alcohol-fed rats relative to pair-fed controls. The most notable change was down-regulation of a 29-kDa protein, which was subsequently identified as carbonic anhydrase III (CA III). Down-regulation of this protein in alcohol-fed rats was confirmed by Western blotting. The messenger RNA level of CA III was decreased as well. In rat serum, a total of 41 proteins were differentially expressed. Of these proteins, only betaine–homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) was also found to be differentially expressed in the liver.
A combined proteomic analysis of liver tissue and serum in chronically alcohol-fed rats revealed that the expression of CA III is significantly down-regulated in the liver of alcohol-fed rats. Our results also showed that BHMT expression is up-regulated in both the liver and serum of alcohol-fed rats.
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Request Reprint E-Mail: fnomura@faculty.chiba-u.jp
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Request Reprint E-Mail: fnomura@faculty.chiba-u.jp
Effect of Predictive Cuing on Response Inhibition in Children with Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
Heavy prenatal exposure to alcohol leads to widespread cognitive deficits, including problems with attention and response inhibition. This study examined blood oxygen level-dependent response in children with and without histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure during a task of response inhibition consisting of cued and noncued trials.
Children and adolescents (ages 8 to 18 years) with (alcohol-exposed [AE] = 20) and without (control [CON] = 15) histories of heavy prenatal exposure to alcohol underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a go/no-go task. Unbeknownst to subjects, a predictive cue preceded the no-go stimulus in 87% of trials.
Groups were matched on demographic variables and did not differ on most measures of task performance. However, following cued stimuli, the AE group demonstrated a lower hit rate to go stimuli and more conservative response bias than the CON group. AE participants demonstrated more activation during no-go trials (inhibition) relative to go trials in the left precuneus, cingulate gyrus, anterior cingulate, and right medial frontal gyrus. During cue-dependent response inhibition, the AE group demonstrated less activation in the left precentral and postcentral gyrus compared to the CON group.
Consistent with previous studies of response inhibition, the AE group demonstrated greater frontal and parietal activation when attempting to inhibit prepotent responses than the CON group, despite similar rates of commission errors. This study further demonstrated that the AE group had impaired behavioral performance on cued trials and demonstrated less activation in precentral and postcentral gyri relative to the CON group on these trials. This investigation provides evidence of impaired behavioral and neural processing of sequential information in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which can help improve inhibition in typical populations.
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Request Reprint E-Mail: smattson@sunstroke.sdsu.edu
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Request Reprint E-Mail: smattson@sunstroke.sdsu.edu
'Protecting People, Promoting Health: A public health approach to violence prevention for England'
A new report has been released by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO):
'Protecting People, Promoting Health: A public health approach to violence prevention for England' [pdf]
'The report describes the major roles public health and
Monday, October 29, 2012
Media Release - Health survey shows we drink and smoke less, but we've packed on the kilos
First results from the Australian Health Survey have some good and bad news; smoking rates continue to fall, as do rates of drinking at risky levels, but the number of people who are overweight and obese continues to rise. > > > Read More
Alcohol News - 44/2012
Medical Daily (Finland) - Just One Alcoholic
Drink a Day Could Lower Your Ability to Learn New Things
New study, from researchers at Rutgers
University and the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland, has suggested that even
moderate drinking could place drinkers at risk. Lead author Megan Anderson and
her colleagues state that moderate drinking could place imbibers at risk for
lower production of brain cells and decreased ability for certain types of
learning.
Helsinki Times (Finland) - The disadvantages
of alcohol increased five-fold in 20 years
“THE disadvantages for society caused by
drinking in Finland have increased five-fold in 20 years, a yet unpublished
study by the University of Eastern Finland reports. This year alone will result
in a loss of a billion euro, as the loss is compared with Finland’s gross
domestic product. In 1990 the drinking deficit amounted to 212 million euro.
Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Norway) - Alcohol plus
medicine – a dangerous combination in traffic
The accident risk is very high if a driver
combines alcohol with hypnotic or sedative medicines. This is the finding from a
recent study by researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, in
collaboration with Oslo University Hospital, Ullevaal and the Norwegian
Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research.
Baltimore Sun (USA) - Alcohol companies
target African-American youth
It is no secret that for decades, tobacco
companies have filled disadvantaged communities with advertising and marketing
attracting generations of young people of color to the products they peddle. A
new report from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that alcohol companies are taking a page
from the tobacco industry's playbook.
BBC News (UK) - Norwich alcohol sales ban
proposed after crime rise
Reductions to late-night drinking hours are a
step closer in Norwich
following a vote by a city council committee.
AllAfrica.com (South Africa) - South Africa:
Alcohol Advertising Ban Still a Hot Debate
The advertising industry, civil society,
academia and government, earlier this week, deliberated on the issue of banning
alcohol advertising in a heated debate held in Johannesburg.
The Australian (Australia) - Indigenous MPs
call for choice on grog
ABORIGINAL members of the Northern Territory
parliament have spoken out in support of returning control over grog
restrictions to local communities.
GlobalPost (USA) - Drug and alcohol problems
in US rose by 70% over past decade: study
The number of drug and alcohol problems
diagnosed by doctors in the US has increased 70 percent between 2001 and 2009,
according to new research.
Stuff.co.nz (New Zealand) - MP defends
proposed changes to alcohol law
Invercargill MP Eric Roy has defended the
Government's Alcohol Reform Bill but says it does not always go far enough. The
debate over the bill is expected to take up to 27 hours, or three weeks, of
Parliamentary time, and feature a succession of unwhipped votes, where MPs do
not have to vote with their party.
The Independent (UK) - Cheap alcohol is
'devastating' life in the North East
Doctors in the North East of England have urged
the Government to set a 50p minimum price per unit on alcohol following concerns
about its “devastating impact” on the region's health.
BBC News (Scotland) - Scottish minimum price
law for alcohol tested in court
The drinks industry is going to court to
challenge Scottish government plans for a minimum price per unit of
alcohol.
Scientific American - Alcoholism and Social
Exclusion
Coastal Times (Canada) - Minimum pricing
benefits not just small beer – study
THE evidence in favour of minimum pricing for
alcohol is so strong it is only a matter of time before it is introduced, says
the author of new research finding the policy had drastic effects when it was
implemented overseas.
The Conversation (Australia) - The government
has it wrong on alcohol’s role in chronic diseases
The Commonwealth government looks set to lose
its top position in preventative health measures. Despite its world-first
efforts on tobacco control, when the government next steps onto the world stage,
it will be not be as a leader – its position on alcohol is out of step with the
World Health Organization and contrary to evidence.
RIA Novosti (Russia) - Russia May Ban Cheap
Wine
The Russian government may set minimum prices
for wines to compensate domestic winemakers for rising world prices due to poor
grape harvests in Russia and Europe, Izvestia daily reported on Monday.
Fleet News Online (France) - Car breathalyser
fine enforcement delayed in France until March 2013
Fines to enforce the new law, which was
introduced earlier this year, were due to come into effect on 1st November, but
this has now been delayed until March 2013. At present, drivers including
visitors from the UK face caution if caught driving in France without the
compulsory kit.
BBC News (Scotland) - Scotland requests more
drink-drive powers from UK government
More powers over drink-driving should be
devolved to Scotland, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has said.
Voxy (New Zealand) - Local alcohol policies
'must be made compulsory'
New Zealand First says the Government must make
it compulsory for every district and city council to adopt local alcohol
policies.
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