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敏感期，众所周知，在这一发育期开始滥用药物，如酒精，与后来的成瘾行为发展密切相关。ECS在确定酒精的强化作用方面起着关键作用，尤其是在青春期，ECS系统已被证明过度活跃。压力是导致个人易受各种神经心理功能障碍影响的一个重要因素，包括药物滥用。由于大多数神经精神障碍都出现在青春期，了解在这一时期暴露于应激源是如何导致负面后果的非常重要。越来越多的证据表明，与成人相比，青春期生物对应激源的反应在生理和行为上都不同；然而，其潜在的机制尚未阐明。最后，ECS系统和压力之间的密切互动已经很好地建立了。因此，通过本研究，我们希望阐明应激对青春期/青春期大鼠酒精摄取的影响增强的机制，并研究不同应激源对ECS功能的发育影响。

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.