Tuesday September 18 10:46 AM ET
Brain Receptors Linked to Alcoholism in Rat Study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Research in rats suggests that a depletion in the brain's receptors for the ``feel-good'' chemical dopamine may make some people vulnerable to alcoholism--and that increasing these receptors could help treat the condition.

Dopamine is part of the brain's ``reward system,'' playing what is thought to be a key role in mood and motivation. Previous research has suggested that people who are vulnerable to addiction may have fewer-than-normal brain receptors for dopamine. The theory is that this pushes them to make up the difference by using substances--including alcohol and other drugs--that elevate dopamine levels in the body.

In the new study, researchers used gene therapy in rats to show that the level of dopamine receptors in the brain determined the animals' motivation for getting alcohol. The rats drank far less alcohol after scientists increased their dopamine receptor levels by injecting the gene for the dopamine D2 receptor into the animals' brains. This gene delivery allowed the rats' brain cells to churn out more D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens, a brain structure known to be involved in feelings of pleasure.

A team led by Dr. Panayotis K. Thanos of Brookhaven National Laboratory (news - web sites) in Upton, New York, reports the findings in the current issue of the Journal of Neurochemistry.

``We believe that some people who are born with lower D2 (dopamine receptor) levels are more vulnerable to alcohol or drug abuse,'' Thanos said in an interview with Reuters Health. ''But what can you do about it?''

This study, he explained, provides early evidence that it may indeed be possible to alter the genetic players at work in alcoholism.

``This is a first approach in creating gene therapy for alcoholism,'' Thanos said.

In the study, rats were first given a choice of drinking either alcohol or water. Some opted to take in most of their daily fluid as alcohol, while others were much more conservative. Next, the scientists used an altered virus to deliver dopamine D2 receptor genes into the rats' brains.

Within days, the animals' receptor levels increased, while their drinking declined. The formerly heavy-drinking rats decreased their alcohol consumption by nearly two-thirds. Even animals that had only drunk lightly significantly cut their alcohol intake after the gene therapy.

``There was a remarkable drop in alcohol preference,'' Thanos said.

The next step, he noted, is to see whether the same phenomenon takes place in rats exposed to cocaine.

But while higher dopamine receptor levels ``seem to be protective,'' Thanos said the D2 gene alone does not explain why some people, in certain environments, become alcoholics.

``It's not purely one gene,'' he noted. ``It's a whole family of genes.''

I am extremely skeptical of scientists playing with gene therapy. In my opinion, they are on high cost boondoggles many times at the expense of taxpayers and consumers.

Here is an info from The Cure For All Diseases, by Hulda Clark published over 6 years ago.

The brain has a region called the addiction center. If this center is stimulated it produces pleasure chemicals. It is carefully controlled so that not too much pleasure can be experienced.

When a toxic substance, beryllium, is inhaled it circulates with the blood to the brain and may land in the addition center. The brain cells in the addiction center have receptor sites for glutamate. Normally glutamate activates the addiction center. But when beryllium has stolen their seats, the glutamate is unable to activate the plaesure center. The result is low level depression. The more beryllium there is to clog the receptors the worse the depression.

She recommends taking glutamine to help this problem.

Alcohol consumption causes a substance called salsol to form. If beryllium is in the pleasure center, salsol reacts with it and activates the cells causing a alcohol "high." The solution to alcoholsim is to avoid ergot contaminated food and avoid beryllium inhalation.

Refraining from the use of alchohol doesn't correct the problem. Removal of solvents from the environment and cleansing the body internally are positive steps to help. Thioctic acid is a chemical that can be used to cleanse the body of beryllium.

Of course, a disciplined nutrition and exercise is essential for proper health.



[This message has been edited by Snouter (edited 09-18-2001).]

That is interesting...both articles.

So people may not jsut be drunks because it is fun...they may get something out of it too...for those that suffer from depression (caused by whatever factor.)

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Manu Narayan