Scientists have solved the secret of chronic alcoholism

Scientists have solved the secret of chronic alcoholism
Scientists have solved the secret of chronic alcoholism
Anonim

Chronic alcoholism is an extremely complex problem not only because it ruins a person's life, but also because it is difficult to establish its true mechanisms. A new development by American scientists from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla may provide the key to deciphering this phenomenon.

Specialists believe it is caused by a genetic disorder. An article published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences states that the cause of chronic alcoholism may be mutations and damage in the GIRK3 gene. Scientists came to this conclusion through an experiment with mice. They became chronic alcoholics after specialists "turned off" the indicated gene.

Researchers explain that damage or absence of the GIRK3 gene exacerbates the pleasure of drinking alcohol and causes the desire to drink again and again. What's worse is that the reverse phenomenon can also be observed with this genetic damage. This is when the pleasure of drinking is felt at an extremely low threshold and therefore more alcohol is drunk to feel joy at the corresponding level.

The authors of the study found that alcohol significantly affects the work of special channels on the surface of neurons in the brain, related to the activity of genes from the GIRK family. In "normal" mice, during drinking, the frequency and strength of impulses in the pleasure center increased under the influence of ethyl alcohol molecules. But in the mice with the gene turned off, the pleasure signals were too weak and they sought to excrete as much alcohol as possible in the shortest possible time.

This is why the scientists believe that their second hypothesis is most likely true, namely that with a defect in the GIRK3 gene, alcohol begins to act less, which provokes a desire to drink more. They believe that if they manage to synthesize a preparation that enhances the work of GIRK3-channels in the body of chronic alcoholics, they will be able to control their binges.

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