Attenuated cortisol response to alcohol in heavy social drinkers

Alcohol affects the brain's resting-state network in social drinkers

Acute alcohol intake is known to enhance inhibition through facilitation of GABA(A) receptors, which are present in 40% of the synapses all over the brain. Evidence suggests that enhanced GABAergic transmission leads to increased large-scale brain connectivity. Our hypothesis is that acute alcohol intake would increase the functional connectivity of the human brain resting-state network (RSN). To test our hypothesis, electroencephalographic (EEG) measurements were recorded from healthy social drinkers at rest, during eyes-open and eyes-closed sessions, after administering to them an alcoholic beverage or placebo respectively. Salivary alcohol and cortisol served to measure the inebriation and stress levels. By calculating Magnitude Square Coherence (MSC) on standardized Low Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (sLORETA) solutions, we formed cortical networks over several frequency bands, which were then analyzed in the context of functional connectivity and graph theory. MSC was increased (p<0.05, corrected with False Discovery Rate, FDR corrected) in alpha, beta (eyes-open) and theta bands (eyes-closed) following acute alcohol intake. Graph parameters were accordingly altered in these bands quantifying the effect of alcohol on the structure of brain networks; global efficiency and density were higher and path length was lower during alcohol (vs. placebo, p<0.05). Salivary alcohol concentration was positively correlated with the density of the network in beta band. The degree of specific nodes was elevated following alcohol (vs. placebo). Our findings support the hypothesis that short-term inebriation considerably increases large-scale connectivity in the RSN. The increased baseline functional connectivity can -at least partially- be attributed to the alcohol-induced disruption of the delicate balance between inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmission in favor of inhibitory influences. Thus, it is suggested that short-term inebriation is associated, as expected, to increased GABA transmission and functional connectivity, while long-term alcohol consumption may be linked to exactly the opposite effect.

Alternative substance paradigm: effectiveness of beverage blinding and effects on acute alcohol responses

A fundamental goal of double-blind alcohol challenge studies is to reduce alcohol expectancies, though there is little research on the effectiveness of blinding procedures and their relationship to acute alcohol responses. This study examined social drinkers' perception of beverage content and related alcohol response during 3 separate double-blind experimental sessions with placebo, low-dose alcohol (0.4 g/kg), and high-dose alcohol (0.8 g/kg). Using the alternative substance paradigm, participants (N = 182) were informed that the beverage they consumed might contain alcohol, a stimulant, a sedative, or a placebo. At several time points, subjective and objective measures were obtained, and participants were asked to identify which substance they received. During both placebo and low-dose alcohol sessions, 33% and 50% of participants, respectively, did not correctly identify the beverage content; during the high-dose alcohol session, 20% did not correctly identify the beverage. Although correct and incorrect identifiers at any dose level did not differ on major background variables, drinking characteristics, or psychomotor performance during these sessions, they did differ on self-reported subjective responses, with greater sedation reported by incorrect identifiers in the placebo and high-dose conditions. In summary, results suggest that the alternative substance paradigm may be a viable option for alcohol laboratory studies, particularly for repeated sessions in within-subject designs and in cases in which the experimenter wants to reduce expectancy by not revealing a priori that alcohol is being administered.

The effects of repeated corticosterone exposure on the interoceptive effects of alcohol in rats

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE

Repeated and/or heightened elevations in glucocorticoids (e.g., repeated stress) can promote escalated drug-taking behaviors and induce compromised HPA axis function. Given that interoceptive/subjective drug cues are a fundamental factor in drug-taking behavior, we sought to determine the effects of exposure to repeated elevations in the glucocorticoid corticosterone (CORT) on the interoceptive effects of alcohol in rats using drug discrimination techniques.

METHODS

Male Long Evans rats trained to discriminate alcohol (1 g/kg, IG) vs. water were exposed to CORT (300 μg/ml) in the home cage drinking water for 7 days. The interoceptive effects of experimenter- and self-administered alcohol were assessed and HPA axis function was determined.

RESULTS

The interoceptive effects of experimenter- and self-administered alcohol were blunted following CORT. Control experiments determined that this decreased sensitivity was unrelated to discrimination performance impairments or decreased CORT levels at the time of testing and was dependent on repeated CORT exposure. Susceptibility to compromised HPA axis function following CORT exposure was suggested by an altered pattern of CORT secretion and blunted CORT response following injection of the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings present a possible behavioral mechanism for escalated alcohol drinking during episodes of heightened elevations in glucocorticoids (e.g., stress). That is, during these episodes, individuals may consume more alcohol to achieve the desired interoceptive effects. Understanding these behavioral mechanisms may lead to a better understanding of factors that promote alcoholism and alcohol abuse in at risk populations.

Stress and the HPA axis: role of glucocorticoids in alcohol dependence

Stress has long been suggested to be an important correlate of uncontrolled drinking and relapse. An important hormonal response system to stress-the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis-may be involved in this process, particularly stress hormones known as glucocorticoids and primarily cortisol. The actions of this hormone system normally are tightly regulated to ensure that the body can respond quickly to stressful events and return to a normal state just as rapidly. The main determinants of HPA axis activity are genetic background, early-life environment, and current life stress. Alterations in HPA axis regulation are associated with problematic alcohol use and dependence; however, the nature of this dysregulation appears to vary with respect to stage of alcohol dependence. Much of this research has focused specifically on the role of cortisol in the risk for, development of, and relapse to chronic alcohol use. These studies found that cortisol can interact with the brain's reward system, which may contribute to alcohol's reinforcing effects. Cortisol also can influence a person's cognitive processes, promoting habit-based learning, which may contribute to habit formation and risk of relapse. Finally, cortisol levels during abstinence may be useful clinical indicators of relapse vulnerability in alcohol-dependent people.

Early attentional modulation by alcohol-related cues in young binge drinkers: an event-related potentials study

OBJECTIVE

Episodic excessive alcohol consumption (i.e., binge drinking) is now considered to be a major concern in our society. Previous studies have shown that alcohol cues can capture attentional resources in chronic alcoholic populations and that the phenomenon is associated with the development and maintenance of alcoholism. Using event-related potentials (ERPs), we investigated the responses of binge drinkers to alcohol-related pictures.

METHODS

Two groups of college students (n=18 in each group) were recruited for the study. One group was composed of binge drinkers and the other of controls. Each student completed a simple visual oddball paradigm in which alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related pictures (positive, neutral or negative) were presented. ERPs were recorded to explore the electrophysiological activity associated with the processing of each cue during the different cognitive steps.

RESULTS

Although there were no behavioural differences between the two groups after detection of alcohol- and non-alcohol-related cues, the ERP data indicated that processing of alcohol-related stimuli was modulated by binge drinking: in the binge drinkers, the P100 amplitudes elicited by the alcohol-related pictures were significantly larger than those elicited by the non-alcohol pictures.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study provides evidence for an early processing enhancement, indexed by increased P100 amplitude, in binge drinkers when confronted with alcohol cues.

SIGNIFICANCE

These findings suggest that higher reactivity to alcohol cues is not a phenomenon limited to adult alcoholics, but that young binge drinkers exhibit signs of prioritizing processing related to alcohol. Prevention intervention for alcohol misuse in young people should consider approaches that address this automatic cue reactivity.

Serum NPY and BNDF response to a behavioral stressor in alcohol-dependent and healthy control participants

RATIONALE

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have been implicated in both the stress response and alcohol addiction. However, few studies have assessed the NPY and BDNF response to stress in alcohol-dependent participants and the concurrent measure of NPY and BDNF has not been reported in human participants.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to concurrently assess serum NPY and BDNF, as well as adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol, in control and race- and aged-matched abstinent alcohol-dependent participants in response to a stress-inducing public-speaking task.

METHODS

Basal and post-stress serum values of NPY and BDNF, as well as ACTH and cortisol, were assessed in 14 abstinent alcohol-dependent and ten healthy control male participants.

RESULTS

Basal measures were stable over short periods of time and stress induced a significant increase in both NPY (p = 0.002) and BDNF (p = 0.006) as well as ACTH (p < 0.001) and cortisol (p < 0.007). Alcohol-dependent and control groups did not significantly differ on any basal or stress-induced measure. Basal and delta responses of NPY and BDNF were not significantly correlated, and delta peak responses of NPY and BDNF did not correlate with one another or with their respective ACTH and cortisol responses.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings reveal that both serum NPY and BDNF are responsive to behavioral stressors, although their regulatory mechanisms appear to differ from one another and those of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Differences in basal and stress-induced responses of NPY and BDNF were not supported between control and abstinent alcohol-dependent subjects.

fMRI differences between subjects with low and high responses to alcohol during a stop signal task

BACKGROUND

A low level of response (i.e., a low LR) to alcohol is a genetically influenced phenotype that predicts later alcoholism. While the low LR reflects, at least in part, a low brain response to alcohol, the physiological underpinnings of the low LR have only recently been addressed.

METHODS

Forty-nine drinking but not yet alcoholic matched pairs of 18- to 25-year-old subjects (N = 98; 53% women) with low and high LRs as established in separate alcohol challenges were evaluated in 2 event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sessions (placebo and approximately 0.7 ml/kg of alcohol) while performing a validated stop signal task. The high and low LR groups had identical blood alcohol levels during the alcohol session.

RESULTS

Significant high versus low LR group and LR group × condition effects were observed in blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal during error and inhibitory processing, despite similar LR group performance on the task. In most clusters with significant (corrected p < 0.05, clusters > 1,344 μl) LR group × alcohol/placebo condition interactions, the low LR group demonstrated relatively less, whereas the high LR group demonstrated more, error and inhibition-related activation after alcohol compared with placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

This is one of the first fMRI studies to demonstrate significant differences between healthy groups with different risks of a future life-threatening disorder. The results may suggest a brain mechanism that contributes to how a low LR might enhance the risk of future heavy drinking and alcohol dependence.

Rewarding, stimulant, and sedative alcohol responses and relationship to future binge drinking

CONTEXT

Excessive consumption of alcohol is a major problem in the United States and abroad. Despite many years of study, it is unclear why some individuals drink alcohol excessively while others do not. It has been postulated that either lower or greater acute responses to alcohol, or both, depending on the limb of the breath alcohol concentration curve, contribute to propensity for alcohol misuse.

OBJECTIVE

To prospectively assess the relationship of acute alcohol responses to future binge drinking.

DESIGN

Within-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multidose laboratory alcohol challenge study with intensive follow-up. Each participant completed 3 randomized sessions examining responses to a high (0.8 g/kg) and low (0.4 g/kg) alcohol dose and placebo, followed by quarterly assessments for 2 years examining drinking behaviors and alcohol diagnoses.

SETTING

Participants recruited from the community.

PARTICIPANTS

High-risk heavy social drinkers aged 21 to 35 years who habitually engage in weekly binge drinking (n = 104) and light drinker controls (n = 86).

INTERVENTION

We conducted 570 laboratory sessions with a subsequent 99.1% follow-up (1506 of 1520).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale, Drug Effects Questionnaire, cortisol response, Timeline Follow-Back, Drinker Inventory of Consequences-Recent, and DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence.

RESULTS

Alcohol produced greater stimulant and rewarding (liking and wanting) responses and lower sedative and cortisol responses in heavy vs light drinkers. Among the heavy drinkers, greater positive effects and lower sedative effects after alcohol consumption predicted increased binge drinking frequency during follow-up. In turn, greater frequency of binge drinking during follow-up was associated with greater likelihood of meeting diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse and dependence.

CONCLUSIONS

The widely held low level response theory and differentiator model should be revised: in high-risk drinkers, stimulant and rewarding alcohol responses even at peak breath alcohol concentrations are important predictors of future alcohol problems.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00961792.

The stress-response-dampening effects of placebo

This experiment used both biological and self-report measures to examine how alcohol modifies stress responses, and to test whether the interaction between these two factors alters risk-taking in healthy young adults. Participants were divided into stress or no-stress conditions and then further divided into one of three beverage groups. The alcohol group consumed a binge-drinking level of alcohol; the placebo group consumed soda, but believed they were consuming alcohol; the sober group was aware that they were not consuming alcohol. Following beverage consumption, the stress group was subjected to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) while the no-stress group completed crossword puzzles; all participants subsequently completed a computerized risk-taking task. Exposure to the TSST significantly increased salivary levels of the hormone cortisol and the enzyme alpha-amylase, as well as subjective self-ratings of anxiety and tension. In the stress condition, both placebo and intoxicated groups reported less tension and anxiety, and exhibited a smaller increase in cortisol, following the TSST than did the sober group. Thus, the expectation of receiving alcohol altered subjective and physiological responses to the stressor. Neither alcohol nor stress increased risk taking, however the sober group demonstrated lower risk-taking on the computer task on the second session. These findings clearly demonstrate that the expectation of alcohol (placebo) alters subsequent physiological responses to stress.

Impact of early life stress on alcohol consumption and on the short- and long-term responses to alcohol in adolescent female rats

We examined the interaction between early life stress and vulnerability to alcohol in female rats exposed to prenatal restraint stress (PRS rats). First we studied the impact of PRS on ethanol preference during adolescence. PRS slightly increased ethanol preference per se, but abolished the effect of social isolation on ethanol preference. We then studied the impact of PRS on short- and long-term responses to ethanol focusing on behavioral and neurochemical parameters related to depression/anxiety. PRS or unstressed adolescent female rats received 10% ethanol in the drinking water for 4 weeks from PND30 to PND60. At PND60, the immobility time in the forced-swim test did not differ between PRS and unstressed rats receiving water alone. Ethanol consumption had no effect in unstressed rats, but significantly reduced the immobility time in PRS rats. In contrast, a marked increase in the immobility time was seen after 5 weeks of ethanol withdrawal only in unstressed rats. Hippocampal levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and mGlu1a metabotropic glutamate receptors were increased at the end of ethanol treatment only in unstressed rats. Ethanol treatment had no effect on levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the hippocampus, striatum, and prefrontal cortex of both groups of rats. After ethanol withdrawal, hippocampal levels of mGlu1 receptors were higher in unstressed rats, but lower in PRS rats, whereas NPY and CRH levels were similar in the two groups of rats. These data indicate that early life stress has a strong impact on the vulnerability and responsiveness to ethanol consumption during adolescence.

Effect of prenatal stress on alcohol preference and sensitivity to chronic alcohol exposure in male rats

RATIONALE

In rats, prenatal restraint stress (PRS) induces persistent behavioral and neurobiological alterations leading to a greater consumption of psychostimulants during adulthood. However, little is known about alcohol vulnerability in this animal model.

OBJECTIVES

We examined in adolescent and adult male Sprague Dawley rats the long-lasting impact of PRS exposure on alcohol consumption.

METHODS

PRS rats were subjected to a prenatal stress (three daily 45-min sessions of restraint stress to the mothers during the last 10 days of pregnancy). Alcohol preference was assessed in a two-bottle choice paradigm (alcohol 2.5%, 5%, or 10% versus water), in both naïve adolescent rats and adult rats previously exposed to a chronic alcohol treatment. Behavioral indices associated with incentive motivation for alcohol were investigated. Finally, plasma levels of transaminases (marker of hepatic damages) and ΔFosB levels in the nucleus accumbens (a potential molecular switch for addiction) were evaluated following the chronic alcohol exposure.

RESULTS

Alcohol preference was not affected by PRS. Contrary to our expectations, stressed and unstressed rats did not display signs of compulsive alcohol consumption. The consequences of the alcohol exposure on locomotor reactivity and on transaminase levels were more prominent in PRS group. Similarly, PRS potentiated alcohol-induced ΔFosB levels in the nucleus accumbens.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that negative events occurring in utero do not modulate alcohol preference in male rats but potentiate chronic alcohol-induced molecular neuroadaptation in the brain reward circuitry. Further studies are needed to determine whether the exacerbated ΔFosB upregulation in PRS rats could be extended to other reinforcing stimuli.

The importance of glucocorticoids in alcohol dependence and neurotoxicity

Alterations in hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal (HPA) function have been described in alcoholics and in rodents after chronic alcohol consumption but the role of glucocorticoids in alcohol consumption, and the mechanisms involved, has received little attention until recently. Both alcohol consumption and withdrawal from chronic alcohol intake raise circulating glucocorticoid levels, and prolonged high concentrations of glucocorticoids are known to have detrimental effects on neuronal function and cognition. This minireview covers the ways in which glucocorticoids may be involved in drinking behavior, from social drinking to dependence, and the negative consequences of alcohol consumption seen during withdrawal which may have a detrimental effect on treatment outcome. Research shows prolonged increases in brain glucocorticoid concentrations and decreased brain glucocorticoid receptor availability (consistent with increased levels of endogenous ligand) after withdrawal from chronic alcohol treatment. Evidence suggests that increased glucocorticoid levels in the brain after chronic alcohol treatment are associated with the cognitive deficits seen during abstinence which impact on treatment efficacy and quality of life. Studies on organotypic cultures also demonstrate the importance of glucocorticoids in the neuropathological consequences of alcohol dependence.

Alcohol impairment of saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements: impact of risk factors for alcohol dependence

RATIONALE

While persons at risk for alcohol dependence by virtue of heavy drinking patterns or family history (FH) of alcohol use disorders have exhibited differential alcohol responses on a variety of measures, few studies have examined alcohol's effects on eye movements in these subgroups.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to (1) conduct a placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study of alcohol's effects on eye movements and (2) examine the impact of these risk factors on oculomotor response to alcohol.

METHODS

A within-subject, double-blind laboratory study was conducted in N = 138 heavy (HD; n = 78) and light social drinkers (LD; n = 60) with self-reported positive (FH+) or negative (FH-) family history. Subjects participated in three laboratory sessions in which they consumed a beverage containing a high (0.8 g/kg) or low (0.4 g/kg) dose of alcohol or placebo. Smooth pursuit, pro-saccadic, and anti-saccadic eye movements were recorded before and at two intervals after alcohol consumption.

RESULTS

Alcohol significantly impaired smooth pursuit gain and pro- and anti-saccade latency, velocity, and accuracy in a dose and time specific matter. HD and LD showed similar impairment on smooth pursuit gain and anti-saccade measures, but HD were less impaired in pro-saccade latency, velocity, and accuracy. FH+ and FH- subjects were equally impaired in nearly all pro- and anti-saccade measures, but FH+ were less impaired in smooth pursuit gain.

CONCLUSIONS

In sum, alcohol produced systematic impairment on oculomotor functioning, even at a non-intoxicating dose. Furthermore, high- and low-risk drinkers may be vulnerable to select performance deficits relative to eye movement task.

Alcohol and the prefrontal cortex

The prefrontal cortex occupies the anterior portion of the frontal lobes and is thought to be one of the most complex anatomical and functional structures of the mammalian brain. Its major role is to integrate and interpret inputs from cortical and sub-cortical structures and use this information to develop purposeful responses that reflect both present and future circumstances. This includes both action-oriented sequences involved in obtaining rewards and inhibition of behaviors that pose undue risk or harm to the individual. Given the central role in initiating and regulating these often complex cognitive and behavioral responses, it is no surprise that alcohol has profound effects on the function of the prefrontal cortex. In this chapter, we review the basic anatomy and physiology of the prefrontal cortex and discuss what is known about the actions of alcohol on the function of this brain region. This includes a review of both the human and animal literature including information on the electrophysiological and behavioral effects that follow acute and chronic exposure to alcohol. The chapter concludes with a discussion of unanswered questions and areas needing further investigation.

Enhanced negative emotion and alcohol craving, and altered physiological responses following stress and cue exposure in alcohol dependent individuals

Chronic alcohol abuse is associated with changes in stress and reward pathways that could alter vulnerability to emotional stress and alcohol craving. This study examines whether chronic alcohol abuse is associated with altered stress and alcohol craving responses. Treatment-engaged, 28-day abstinent alcohol-dependent individuals (ADs; 6F/22M), and social drinkers (SDs; 10F/18M) were exposed to a brief guided imagery of a personalized stressful, alcohol-related and neutral-relaxing situation, one imagery condition per session, presented in random order across 3 days. Alcohol craving, anxiety and emotion ratings, behavioral distress responses, heart rate, blood pressure, and salivary cortisol measures were assessed. Alcohol patients showed significantly elevated basal heart rate and salivary cortisol levels. Stress and alcohol cue exposure each produced a significantly enhanced and persistent craving state in alcohol patients that was marked by increased anxiety, negative emotion, systolic blood pressure responses, and, in the case of alcohol cue, behavioral distress responses, as compared to SDs. Blunted stress-induced cortisol responses were observed in the AD compared to the SD group. These data are the first to document that stress and cue exposure induce a persistent negative emotion-related alcohol craving state in abstinent alcoholics accompanied by dysregulated HPA and physiological arousal responses. As laboratory models of stress and negative mood-induced alcohol craving are predictive of relapse outcomes, one implication of the current data is that treatments targeting decreases in stress and alcohol cue-induced craving and regulation of stress responses could be of benefit in improving alcohol relapse outcomes.

Is cortisol involved in the alcohol-related fat mass impairment? A longitudinal clinical study

AIMS

Subjects with chronic alcohol abuse can present several metabolic and nutritional alterations. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may play a role in these nutritional and metabolic disorders. The goal of this study was to investigate if there is any relationship between HP-hormones and metabolic and nutritional parameters in alcoholic subjects.

METHODS

Sixteen alcoholics were considered before and after 3 months of total alcohol abstinence. HP-related hormones were determined. Nutritional and metabolic parameters were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and indirect calorimetry.

RESULTS

At baseline, a significant negative correlation was found between fat mass (FM) and cortisol (r = -0.54, P = 0.03). During abstinence, a significant increase of both body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.0001) and FM (P < 0.0001) was found at 12 weeks compared to baseline. A significant decrease of both plasma cortisol (P = 0.044) and aldosterone (P = 0.023) was found at 12 weeks compared to baseline. At 12 weeks, the significant correlation between cortisol and FM disappeared.

CONCLUSIONS

A higher HPA-axis activation-reflected by higher cortisol levels-was associated with a lower FM in alcoholics. Conversely, during total abstinence a reduced HPA-axis activity can play a role in the parallel nutritional recovery. The present results suggest a role of the HPA axis throughout cortisol both in the etiology of the alcohol-related nutritional alterations and in their recovery after a period of total alcohol abstinence.

The self-rating of the effects of alcohol questionnaire as a predictor of alcohol-related outcomes in 12-year-old subjects

AIMS

A low level of response (LR), or low sensitivity, to alcohol as established by alcohol challenges has been shown to predict future heavier drinking, alcohol-related problems and alcohol use disorders. To date, only one study has evaluated the predictive validity of a second measure of LR as determined by the Self-Report of the Effects of Alcohol (SRE) Questionnaire. The current analyses evaluate the ability of SRE scores as determined at age 12 to predict heavier drinking and alcohol-related problems 2 years later in a sample from the United Kingdom.

METHODS

The subjects were 156 boys (54.5%) and girls from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) who had reported consuming one or more standard drinks by age 12 and who were followed up 2 years later.

RESULTS

The age 12 SRE scores correlated with the number of drinks per week, maximum drinks and the number of alcohol problems both at baseline and at age 14 follow-ups. In these evaluations, a larger number of drinks required for effects on the SRE (i.e. a lower LR per drink consumed) related to heavier intake and alcohol-related difficulties. Simultaneous entry multiple regression analyses revealed that the age 12 SRE score maintained a significant relationship with age 14 higher number of drinks per week and the number of alcohol problems even when the age 12 values for alcohol intake and problems were used as covariates.

CONCLUSION

The SRE scores appear to have value in predicting future heavier drinking and alcohol problems in 12-year olds that go beyond the information offered by the earlier drinking pattern alone.

Sex differences in the relationship between alcohol-associated smoking urge and behavior: a pilot study

This study examined sex differences in alcohol-associated smoking urge and smoking patterns to elucidate factors contributing to the co-use of alcohol and cigarettes. Participants were 39 (22M, 17F) binge-drinking tobacco chippers. Although men and women showed similar alcohol-smoking patterns and similar alcohol-induced smoking urges, a positive association between these factors was observed only in men. The lack of relationship in women suggests that co-use of these substances may be due to exteroceptive factors beyond the pharmacological effects of alcohol potentiating smoking urge.

Family history of alcoholism does not influence adrenocortical hyporesponsiveness in abstinent alcohol-dependent men

BACKGROUND

Early abstinence in alcohol-dependent subjects is marked by adrenocortical hyporesponsivity. However, it is uncertain whether the blunted response is primarily attributable to a genetic vulnerability or to the chronic abuse of alcohol. In the present study, the authors investigated the influence of a family history (FH) of alcoholism upon suppressed glucocorticoid reactivity.

METHODS

Twenty-two abstinent alcohol-dependent and 14 control men were studied. The cortisol response was assessed in 11 patients following oCRH infusion (.4 ug/kg) and in a separate group of 11 patients following cosyntropin infusion (.01 ug/kg) preceded by high-dose intravenous dexamethasone (8 mg). FH, as determined by self-report, was assessed using two different methods: history of parental alcoholism and number of alcohol-dependent first- and second-degree relatives.

RESULTS

Neither a parental history or familial loading of alcoholism had a significant effect upon glucocorticoid responsivity in abstinent alcohol-dependent men.

CONCLUSIONS

Adrenocorticol responsiveness in recently abstinent alcohol-dependent men does not appear to reflect a preexisting biologic vulnerability to alcoholism.

Hypo-response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis after an ethanol challenge in prenatally stressed adolescent male rats

The period of adolescence and environmental factors, such as stress, are important in determining ethanol vulnerability in both humans and rats. Ethanol is a powerful activator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis but attenuated responses of the HPA axis to ethanol have been described in populations with a high risk of ethanol abuse. In rats, prenatal stress leads to prolonged stress-induced corticosterone secretion and increases the vulnerability to drugs of abuse, such as amphetamine and nicotine in adulthood and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine in adolescent rats. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of a prenatal stress on HPA axis responsiveness to a moderate dose of ethanol (1.5 g/kg i.p.) in adolescent male rats (28 days old). The parameters evaluated were plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone, plasma corticosterone and mRNA expression of HPA axis central markers (mineralocorticoid receptor, glucocorticoid receptor, corticotropin-releasing hormone and pro-opiomelanocortin). Contrary to prior expectations, our results demonstrate that prenatal stress blunts the HPA axis responsiveness to a moderate dose of ethanol in adolescent rats in spite of similar blood ethanol levels. These data suggest that prenatal stress may have the opposite effect on the response to stress depending on the attributes of the stressor stimulus. They thus raise questions about the possible impact of prenatal stress on the further development of ethanol vulnerability.