Neuroimmune Characteristics of Animals with Prenatal Alcohol Intoxication.

Neuroinflammation can be an important factor of many disorders in central nervous system (CNS) including cognitive dysfunction, affective disorders, and addictive behavior associated with prenatal alcohol exposure and presented in early adulthood. In this study we used an experimental rodent model of prenatal alcohol (PA) exposure (consumption of a 10% ethanol solution by female Wistar rats throughout pregnancy), multiplex immunofluorescence analysis of interleukins (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-3, IL-6, IL-9, and IL-12), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and chemokine CCL5, as well as quantitative real-time PCR to assess the level of cytokine mRNAs in the prefrontal cortex of the sexually mature (PND60) offspring - male and female rats with prenatal alcohol intoxication and control animals. Significant decrease in the content of TNF-α and interleukins IL-1β, IL-3, IL-6, IL-9 was detected in the prefrontal cortex of male, but not in the female PA offspring.

Associative Learning and Active Inference.

Associative learning is a behavioral phenomenon in which individuals develop connections between stimuli or events based on their co-occurrence. Initially studied by Pavlov in his conditioning experiments, the fundamental principles of learning have been expanded on through the discovery of a wide range of learning phenomena. Computational models have been developed based on the concept of minimizing reward prediction errors.

Sex-Related Differences in Voluntary Alcohol Intake and mRNA Coding for Synucleins in the Brain of Adult Rats Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol.

Maternal alcohol consumption is one of the strong predictive factors of alcohol use and consequent abuse; however, investigations of sex differences in response to prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) are limited. Here we compared the effects of PAE throughout gestation on alcohol preference, state anxiety and mRNA expression of presynaptic proteins α-, β- and γ-synucleins in the brain of adult (PND60) male and female Wistar rats. Total RNA was isolated from the hippocampus, midbrain and hypothalamus and mRNA levels were assessed with quantitative RT-PCR.

Neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist rolapitant suppresses anxiety and alcohol intake produced by repeated withdrawal episodes.

Neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1r) antagonists have been shown to suppress operant self-administration of alcohol, voluntary alcohol consumption and stress-induced reinstatement of alcohol-seeking behaviour. Considering the long half-life and anxiolytic-like properties of NK1r antagonist rolapitant, we expected that it may be an effective option for reducing anxiety and alcohol motivation during early withdrawal. Voluntary alcohol intake (two-bottles paradigm) was recorded in male Wistar rats during the three periods: 24 days (basal level), 6-day period when rats received 5 mg·kg rolapitant or vehicle and 12-h period after repeated withdrawal episodes (alcohol cessation for 36 h).

Cortical Glutamate/GABA Imbalance after Combined Radiation Exposure: Relevance to Human Deep-Space Missions.

Ionizing radiation (IR) is one of the major biological limiting factors of human deep-space missions. Despite the dominant paradigm about the negative effects of IR on the CNS, the anxiolytic, antidepressant, anti-aggressive, and pro-cognitive effects have recently been discovered. The mechanisms of these phenomena remain undisclosed.

Active immunization against serum alcohol dehydrogenase normalizes brain dopamine metabolism disturbed during chronic alcohol consumption.

Chronic ethanol consumption in high doses is associated with constitutively elevated activity of the serum alcohol dehydrogenase I (ADH I) isoform, which demonstrates a high affinity not only for ethanol but also for a number of bioamine metabolites. Such excessive ADH activity is probably associated with disruptions in the metabolism of neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine) and subsequent long-term changes in the activity of their receptors. Ultimately, a stable depressive-like condition contributes to the development of patients' craving for ethanol intake, frequent disruptions during therapy, and low efficacy of treatment.