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The Effects Of Alcohol On Bdnf And Cd5 Dependent Pathways, Andrew Jordan Payne
The Effects Of Alcohol On Bdnf And Cd5 Dependent Pathways, Andrew Jordan Payne
Theses and Dissertations
Alcohol represents the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Yet, despite its prevalent role in impeding human health, there is much to understand about how it elicits its effects on the body and how the body and brain change when an individual becomes physiologically dependent upon alcohol. The work presented herein represents an effort to elucidate the acute and chronic effects of alcohol on the nervous system. We investigate two specific protein pathways and their role in alcohol's effects on the body. The first begins with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which acts on TrkB, and ends …
Alcohol Affects The Reward Pathway Of The Brain Via A6-Containing Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In The Nucleus Accumbens, Elizabeth Qiufeng Anderson
Alcohol Affects The Reward Pathway Of The Brain Via A6-Containing Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In The Nucleus Accumbens, Elizabeth Qiufeng Anderson
Theses and Dissertations
The prevailing view is that enhancement of dopamine (DA) transmission in the mesolimbic system consisting of DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) that project to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) underlies the rewarding properties of ethanol (EtOH) and nicotine (NIC). Although the dogma is that EtOH enhancement of DA neural activity contributes to enhancement of DA transmission, DA neurons are not sensitive to rewarding levels of EtOH. However, VTA GABA neurons are sensitive to low-dose EtOH. We have shown previously that EtOH modulation of DA release in the NAc is mediated by α6-containing nicotinic receptors (α6*-nAChRs), that α6*-nAChRs mediate …
Aerobic Exercise Alters Opioid Receptors Following Chronic Alcohol Exposure, James N. Brundage
Aerobic Exercise Alters Opioid Receptors Following Chronic Alcohol Exposure, James N. Brundage
Theses and Dissertations
Opioid receptors have been a target of pharmacological manipulation in alcohol use disorder (AUD) recovery protocols for many years. Aerobic exercise, a common adjunct in AUD recovery, is known to modulate opioid receptors (ORs) both during both acute and long term exposure. The three subtypes of ORs: mu (MOR), delta (DOR), and kappa (KOR) are all expressed on neurons in the mesocorticolimbic circuitry. Kappa-opioid receptors are expressed directly on dopamine (DA) neuron terminals in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Mu and Delta ORs are expressed on cholinergic interneurons (CINs) and GABA neurons in the NAc. In alcohol dependent rodents, KORs are …