Publications by authors named "S P Faccidomo"
Rationale: The positive reinforcing effects of alcohol (ethanol) drive repetitive use and contribute to alcohol use disorder (AUD). Ethanol alters the expression of glutamate AMPA receptor (AMPAR) subunits in reward-related brain regions, but the extent to which this effect regulates ethanol's reinforcing properties is unclear.
Objective: This study investigates whether ethanol self-administration changes AMPAR subunit expression and synaptic activity in the nucleus accumbens core (AcbC) to regulate ethanol's reinforcing effects in male C57BL/6 J mice.
Article Synopsis
- * Female mice showed higher alcohol intake and motivation for consumption compared to male mice, with reduced sensitivity to alcohol's sedative effects and similar blood clearance rates post-alcohol consumption.
- * The results suggest that increased alcohol consumption in female mice may be linked to their behavioral and neurobiological responses, while the effectiveness of the AMPA receptor antagonist was similar in both sexes.
Article Synopsis
- * The study found that self-administering ethanol increased the expression of a particular receptor protein (GluA2) in the nucleus accumbens core (AcbC) of mice, which is important for the reinforcing effects of alcohol.
- * Blocking the activity of GluA2 in the AcbC reduced the reinforcing effects of ethanol without affecting sugar use, indicating that targeting this receptor could be a new approach for treating AUD.
Rationale: The development and progression of alcohol use disorder (AUD) are widely viewed as maladaptive neuroplasticity. The transmembrane alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptor (AMPAR) regulatory protein γ8 (TARP γ-8) is a molecular mechanism of neuroplasticity that has not been evaluated in AUD or other addictions.
Objective: To address this gap in knowledge, we evaluated the mechanistic role of TARP γ-8 bound AMPAR activity in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and ventral hippocampus (vHPC) in the positive reinforcing effects of alcohol, which drive repetitive alcohol use throughout the course of AUD, in male C57BL/6 J mice.
Significance: Alcohol drinking and nicotine vaping often co-occur and dependence on both substances is common. However, the impact of nicotine vaping on alcohol consumption is not fully understood.
Methods: We examined the effects of nicotine vaping on ethanol drinking in female and male C57BL/6 J mice using an electronic nicotine delivery system and intermittent access two-bottle choice (IA-2BC) drinking.