No Craving for alcohol by Oxytocin?
Alcohol addiction is a serious Problem for affected people, which they can not cope, often without the help of others. That’s why there are always different studies, which deal with the issue of whether and how the alcoholism can be counteracted. Researchers found out now that a nose could help fight spray with the so-called love hormone Oxytocin alcoholism.
In a recent study by the National Institutes of Health, it was found that the use of a nasal spray seems to be with Oxytocin alcoholism counteract. The results of the study were published in the English scientific journal “PLOS Biology”.
Rats drank by Oxytocin less alcohol
In Try to after alcohol-addicted rats, turned out to be due to the use of Oxytocin, and that this is already after a dose of less drank. Oxytocin behavior is usually due to our loyalty, including sexual intercourse and breast-feeding is triggered and has already been proposed for the treatment of eating disorders, anxiety, and drug addiction. In the study, the consumption of alcohol was reduced in alcohol-dependent rats, because Oxytocin acts on the so-called GABA receptors in the brain, of which it is assumed that alcohol exerts its intoxicating effects, speculate the researchers. The results of the investigation could be the development of a future-oriented treatment of disorders of alcohol use lead in humans, say the authors of the study. Alcohol-dependent rats, which is an Oxytocin dose received, drank less than normal rats, which suffered from addiction with alcohol.
Oxytocin for the treatment of drug addiction?
Previous studies have already shown that the administration of Oxytocin can reduce the consumption of various forms of drug abuse. According to the researchers, the results are a lot of pharmaceutical promise pharmacopoeial approach to the treatment of drug addiction. Therefore, the Team decided to find out how Oxytocin mediates these effects by using an animal model of alcohol dependence. For their study, the researchers gave both alcohol-dependent rats as well as normal rats, a dose of Oxytocin. The experiments showed that systemically, intranasally, or in the brain administered Oxytocin alcohol consumption in alcohol-dependent individuals but not in normal rats blocked, explain the authors of the study.
What is the effect of Oxytocin?
The effect was created by the Oxytocin increased the signal transmission of the Neurotransmitter GABA (Gamma-amino butyric acid), which helps, for example, when you See, as well as in the regulation of anxiety. GABA is the main inhibitory Neurotransmitter in the nervous system, which means that GABA certain nerve impulses are blocked, which are sent between cells in the brain. It is believed that alcohol mimics the effect of GABA in the brain by binding to GABA receptors and the signalling of neurons inhibits. Excessive alcohol consumption can stimulate the GABA-signaling pathways excessively, which can lead to alcohol poisoning and accidental Overdose.
There will be soon a nasal spray for alcohol-dependent?
The researchers found also that the Oxytocin increased the GABA-signaling specifically in the Central nucleus of the Amygdala, the part of the brain, the conditions for the recognition of fear and preparing for emergency events is responsible. This is an important brain region in the network of alcohol dependency, damaged neurons, the authors explain. Taken together, the results provide evidence that Oxytocin blocked the excessive Drinking by altered GABA Transmission in the Amygdala. These results provide evidence that variations in the oxytocin system of the alcohol use disorder. This could in the future lead to potential new therapies, including a nasal spray for alcohol-dependent. (as)