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Matthews DB, Kerr E. Interaction of age and sex as factors in understanding the anxiolytic effects of alcohol: Unasked questions limiting the understanding of a critical health issue. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 245:173881. [PMID: 39278601 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2024] [Revised: 09/06/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the reasons why people consume alcohol is a critical health issue. Alcohol produces a variety of effects, including a reduction in stress or negative emotional states termed an anxiolytic effect. The anxiolytic effect of alcohol is an often-reported reason for why people begin consuming the drug. However, several factors concerning the stress-reducing effect of alcohol need to be investigated. For example, research has demonstrated that both age and sex are factors that impact alcohol's anxiolytic effect producing differential outcomes in aged female rats compared to aged male rats. In light of these findings, the current commentary highlights critical questions in need of research with the goal of better understanding how age and sex interact to influence the anxiolytic effect of alcohol. For example, the central nucleus of the amygdala has been identified as a critical brain region mediating the anxiolytic effect of drugs, but additional research is needed to understand how aging alters the neurological functioning of the central nucleus of the amygdala in both females and males. Furthermore, specific receptor isoforms, such as GABAA receptor α2, have been shown to be critical for anxiolysis and understanding how aging and sex alter receptor isoform expression by brain region is needed. Finally, age and sex interact to alter allopregnanolone levels in brain and differential neurosteroid levels may mediate alcohol's unique anxiolytic effect in aged female rats compared to aged male rats. Given the increasing age of the population in most countries and the increasing alcohol consumption levels in females compared to males, investigating the interaction of sex and age on alcohol's anxiolytic effect has great promise to discover critical answers to what are currently unasked questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas B Matthews
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI 54701, United States
| | - Emily Kerr
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI 54701, United States
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Matthews DB, Rossmann G, Matthews SJ, Zank A, Shult C, Turunen A, Sharma P. Increased anxiolytic effect in aged female rats and increased motoric behavior in aged male rats to acute alcohol administration: Comparison to younger animals. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 239:173770. [PMID: 38636813 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
The population of most countries in the world is increasing and understanding risk factors that can influence the health of the older population is critical. Older adults consume alcohol often in a risky, binge manner. Previous work has demonstrated that aged rats are more sensitive to many of the effects of acute ethanol. In the current project aged, adult, and adolescent female and male rats were tested on the elevated plus maze and open field following either a 1.0 g/kg alcohol injection or a saline injection. We report sex- and age-dependent effects whereas aged female rats, but not aged male rats, showed an increased anxiolytic effect of alcohol in the elevated plus maze while aged male rats, but not aged female rats, showed increased stimulatory movement in the open field. In addition, significant age effects were found for both female and male rats. It is proposed that the sex- and age-dependent effects reported in the current studies may be due to differential levels of alcohol-induced allopregnanolone for the anxiolytic effects and differential levels of alcohol-induced dopamine for the stimulatory effects. The current work provides insights into factors influencing alcohol consumption in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas B Matthews
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI 54701, United States of America.
| | - Gillian Rossmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI 54701, United States of America
| | - Sadie J Matthews
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI 54701, United States of America
| | - Aeda Zank
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI 54701, United States of America
| | - Carolyn Shult
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI 54701, United States of America
| | - Alicia Turunen
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI 54701, United States of America
| | - Pravesh Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Health System, Eau Claire, WI 54703, United States of America
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Matthews DB, Scaletty S, Trapp S, Schreiber A, Rossmann G, Imhoff B, Petersilka Q, Kastner A, Pauly J, Nixon K. Chronic intermittent ethanol exposure during adolescence produces sex- and age-dependent changes in anxiety and cognition without changes in microglia reactivity late in life. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1223883. [PMID: 37589035 PMCID: PMC10427154 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1223883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Binge-like ethanol exposure during adolescence has been shown to produce long lasting effects in animal models including anxiety-like behavior that can last into young adulthood and impairments in cognition that can last throughout most of the lifespan. However, little research has investigated if binge-like ethanol exposure during adolescence produces persistent anxiety-like behavior and concomitantly impairs cognition late in life. Furthermore, few studies have investigated such behavioral effects in both female and male rats over the lifespan. Finally, it is yet to be determined if binge-like ethanol exposure during adolescence alters microglia activation in relevant brain regions late in life. In the present study female and male adolescent rats were exposed to either 3.0 or 5.0 g/kg ethanol, or water control, in a chronic intermittent pattern before being tested in the elevated plus maze and open field task over the next ∼18 months. Animals were then trained in a spatial reference task via the Morris water maze before having their behavioral flexibility tested. Finally, brains were removed, sectioned and presumptive microglia activation determined using autoradiography for [3H]PK11195 binding. Males, but not females, displayed an anxiety-like phenotype initially following the chronic intermittent ethanol exposure paradigm which resolved in adulthood. Further, males but not females had altered spatial reference learning and impaired behavioral flexibility late in life. Conversely, [3H]PK11195 binding was significantly elevated in females compared to males late in life and the level of microglia activation interacted as a function of sex and brain regions, but there was no long-term outcome related to adolescent alcohol exposure. These data further confirm that binge-like ethanol exposure during adolescence produces alterations in behavior that can last throughout the lifespan. In addition, the data suggest that microglia activation late in life is not exacerbated by prior binge-like ethanol exposure during adolescence but the expression is sex- and brain region-dependent across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas B. Matthews
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Samantha Scaletty
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Sarah Trapp
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Areonna Schreiber
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Gillian Rossmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Bailey Imhoff
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Quinn Petersilka
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Abigail Kastner
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, United States
| | - Jim Pauly
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Kimberly Nixon
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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Alcohol and aging - An area of increasing concern. Alcohol 2023; 107:19-27. [PMID: 35940508 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use is increasing among adults 65 and older and the size of this population is expanding rapidly. Aging is associated with systemic inflammation, sleep disturbances, cancers, cognitive decline, and increased risk of injury and death from falls and other accidents. Alcohol misuse exacerbates and accelerates these age-related changes. Older drinkers are more sensitive to acute alcohol-induced impairments in memory, coordination, reaction time, and driving performance. Oxidative stress and DNA damage resulting from chronic heavy alcohol consumption contribute to an increased risk of cancer, liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. Medication use increases with age and many medications prescribed to older adults can interact negatively with alcohol. The rapid expansion of the population aged 65 and older, combined with higher levels of alcohol use and AUD in the Baby Boomer cohort than the preceding generation, could significantly increase the burden of alcohol on the healthcare system resulting from AUD and alcohol-related injuries and diseases. Screening and brief intervention for hazardous alcohol use among older patients along with education regarding potential interactions between alcohol and medications could substantially reduce the risk of harms from alcohol but currently is underutilized.
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Matthews DB, Koob GF. On the critical need to investigate the effect of alcohol in the older population. Alcohol 2023; 107:2-3. [PMID: 36202275 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas B Matthews
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States.
| | - George F Koob
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, United States
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