Chronic Ethanol Consumption, Opioids and Dopamine

描述(申请人提供)：由于有证据表明大脑强化系统参与了对抗酒精注射的慢性影响的变态过程，本系列实验旨在确定在酒精依赖和非依赖动物急性和长期戒断期间，基础和酒精注射相关的大鼠大脑中内源性阿片和多巴胺水平的变化。此外，非选择性和选择性阿片受体拮抗剂/激动剂将用于药理学研究阿片类药物在酒精依赖和非依赖大鼠急性戒断过程中杏仁核特定区域的作用。这一系列实验将有助于对大脑强化系统中可能导致成瘾和依赖的变态变化进行分类，并可能有助于确定用于治疗酒精中毒的适当药物疗法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Due to evidence suggesting that brain reinforcement systems are engaging in allostatic processes to combat the chronic effects of ethanol administration, the present series of experiments are designed to identify changes in basal and ethanol administration-contingent endogenous opioid and dopamine levels in the rat brain during acute and protracted withdrawal in ethanol dependent and non-dependent animals. Furthermore, non-selective and selective opioid receptor antagonists/agonists will be used to pharmacologically study the role of opioids within specific regions of the extended amygdala during acute withdrawal in ethanol dependent and non-dependent rats. These series of experiments will help to classify allostatic changes in brain reinforement systems that could contribute to addiction and dependence and possibly help to identify appropriate pharmacotherapeutics for use in the treatment of alcoholism.