Diosgenin alleviates alcohol-mediated escalation of social defeat stress and the neurobiological sequalae.

Rationale: Emerging evidence indicates that persistent alcohol consumption escalates psychosocial trauma achieved by social defeat stress (SDS)-induced neurobiological changes and behavioral outcomes. Treatment with compounds with neuroprotective functions is believed to reverse ethanol (EtOH)-aggravated SDS-induced behavioral impairments.

Objectives: We investigated the outcomes of diosgenin treatment, a phytosteroidal sapogenin in mice co-exposed to repeated SDS and EtOH administration.