Impact of the developing endocannabinoid system in rats on the modulatory influence of stress on adolescent ethanol intake

青春期已被证明是实验性药物使用的易感期，并且已知在此发育期期间物质滥用（例如酒精）的引发与后来成瘾行为的发展密切相关。ECS在确定酒精的强化作用方面起着关键作用，这似乎对青春期尤其如此，其中ECS系统已被证明过度活跃。压力是一个重要因素，它导致个人易受各种神经心理功能障碍的影响，包括药物滥用。由于大多数神经精神疾病出现在青春期，了解如何暴露于压力在这一时期导致负面后果是非常重要的。越来越多的证据表明，青春期的生物体的反应不同，生理和行为，压力相比，成年人，然而，潜在的机制还没有得到澄清。最后，ECS系统和压力之间的密切相互作用已经很好地建立。因此，本建议，我们想阐明的机制，在青春期/青春期的大鼠开始乙醇摄入的压力的影响加剧，并调查不同的应激源对ECS功能的发展影响。

Puberty has been shown to be a susceptible period for experimental drug use and it is known that the initation of substance abuse, such as alcohol, during this developmental period is strongly associated with later development of addictive behaviors. The ECS plays a key role in determining the reinforcing effects of alcohol and this appears to be especially true for the pubertal period, where the ECS system has been shown to be overactive. Stress is an important factor that is contributing to an individual’s vulnerability to various neuropsychological dysfunctions, including drug abuse. Since most neuropsychiatric disorders emerge during puberty, understanding how exposure to stressors during this period leads to negative consequences is of high importance. Growing evidence indicates that pubertal organisms react different, both physiologically and behaviorally, to a stressor compared to adults; however, the underlying mechanisms have not been clarified. Finally, a close interaction between the ECS system and stress is already well established. With the present proposal we would therefore like to shed light on the mechanisms underlying the heightened influence of stress on the initiation of ethanol intake during puberty/adolescence in rats and investigate the developmental impact of different stressors on ECS functioning.