Forced abstinence from ethanol intake dysregulates behavioral affect and endocannabinoid control of a BNST circuit

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are strongly comorbid with depression, and alcohol withdrawal is considered a potent stressor associated with affective disturbances. The interaction between AUDs and depression represents an understudied area of research that could yield therapeutics aimed at treating alcohol abstinence-induced affective behaviors. To  this end, we used a two-bottle choice mouse model of chronic ethanol drinking followed by forced abstinence (CDFA). CDFA produces consistent ethanol preference and a depressive-like phenotype during prolonged abstinence in female C57BL/6J mice.

Source: Alcohol - May 1, 2017 Category: Addiction Authors: Samuel W. Centanni, Katherine M. Holleran, Sachin Patel, Danny G. Winder Source Type: research