@article{ref1,
title="Role of cortical alpha-2 adrenoceptors in alcohol withdrawal-induced depression and tricyclic antidepressants",
journal="Drug and alcohol dependence",
year="2017",
author="Getachew, Bruk and Hauser, Sheketha R. and Csoka, Antonei B. and Taylor, Robert E. and Tizabi, Yousef",
volume="175",
number="",
pages="133-139",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: Although a role for alpha-2 adrenoceptors (alpha-2 ARs) in alcohol use disorder (AUD) and depression is suggested, very little information on a direct interaction between alcohol and these receptors is available. <br><br>METHODS: In this study adult female Wistar and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, a putative animal model of depression, were exposed to alcohol vapor 3h daily for 10days (blood alcohol concentration ∼150mg%) followed by daily injection of 10mg/kg of imipramine (IMP, a selective norepinephrine NE/serotonin reuptake inhibitor) or nomifensine (NOMI, a selective NE/dopamine reuptake inhibitor). On day 11 animals were tested for open field locomotor activity (OFLA) and forced swim test (FST) and were sacrificed 2h later for measurement of alpha-2 ARs densities in the frontal cortex and hippocampus using [3H]RX 821002 as the specific ligand. <br><br>RESULTS: Chronic alcohol treatment increased the immobility in the FST, without affecting OFLA in both Wistar and WKY rats, suggesting induction of depressive-like behavior in Wistar rats and an exacerbation of this behavior in WKY rats. Alcohol treatment also resulted in an increase in cortical but not hippocampal alpha-2 ARs densities in both Wistar and WKY rats. The behavioral effects of alcohol were completely blocked by IMP and NOMI and the neurochemical effects (increases in alpha-2 ARs) were significantly attenuated by both drugs in both strains. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest a role for cortical alpha-2 ARs in alcohol withdrawal-induced depression and that selective subtype antagonists of these receptors may be of adjunct therapeutic potential in AUD-depression co-morbidity.<br><br>Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0376-8716",
doi="10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.03.004",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.03.004"
}