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Alcohol 2021 Jun 9. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

MGH Alcohol Liver Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA; Gastrointestinal Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA; Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA, 02114, USA. Electronic address:

Identifying the minority of patients with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) who develop the wide spectrum of Alcohol-associated Liver Disease (ALD), and risk stratifying these patients, is of critical importance. High-Mobility Group Box 1 protein (HMGB1) is an alarmin that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple liver diseases. Its use as a biomarker for liver disease in those with AUD has not been studied. Read More

Alcohol 2021 May 21. Epub 2021 May 21.

Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610. Electronic address:

Background: Acute intoxication caused by binge ethanol drinking is linked to widespread impairments in brain functions. Various alcohol administration paradigms have been used in animals to model the heterogenous clinical manifestation of intoxication in people. It is challenging to model a procedure that produces "visible intoxication" in rodents; however manipulation of variables such as route of alcohol administration, time of availability, frequency, duration and amount of ethanol exposure have achieved some success. Read More

Alcohol 2021 May 19;95:1-6. Epub 2021 May 19.

Laboratorio de Farmacología y Conducta, Instituto de Neurociencias, CUCBA, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, 44130, México. Electronic address:

Clinical studies have postulated that β-endorphin deficiency generates excessive alcohol consumption, and it has been shown that the reduction of β-endorphin neurons increases alcohol intake in animal models. The β-endorphin produce their rewarding effect when they act mainly on the μ-opioid receptors (MOR) located in mesolimbic structures. Thus, it is possible that individual differences in these components of the endogenous opioid system are related to different levels of alcohol consumption. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Aug 4;94:65-73. Epub 2021 May 4.

Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, 1 Washington Square, San José, California, 95192-0100, United States. Electronic address:

Alcohol is a known teratogen, and developmental exposure to ethanol results in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Children born with FASD can exhibit a range of symptoms including low birth weight, microcephaly, and neurobehavioral problems. Treatment of patients with FASD is estimated to cost 4 billion dollars per year in the United States alone, and 2 million dollars per affected individual's lifetime. Read More

Alcohol 2021 May 1;95:7-14. Epub 2021 May 1.

Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, DK-1014, Copenhagen, Denmark; Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Associations of educational level and intelligence with age at onset and age at treatment of alcohol use disorders (AUD) are sparsely investigated; however, knowledge about these associations is important for an enhanced understanding of AUD. This study aimed to examine three measures of timing of AUD: estimated age at onset of alcohol problems, age at first registration in an outpatient alcohol clinic, and age at first AUD hospital diagnosis, and to estimate associations of educational level and intelligence with each measure of timing of AUD. The aims were investigated in a register-based study comprising 7,019 Danish men seeking outpatient AUD treatment. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Aug 19;94:43-56. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, ICS Maugeri Spa - SB, Institute of G Nervi, Genoa, Italy.

A bulk of evidence in the field of translational medicine applied to clinical toxicology and rehabilitation has highlighted the possibility of using biomarkers as a support in the diagnosis of alcohol-related diseases and in monitoring of alcohol withdrawal. In a cohort of 55 subjects admitted to a 4-week residential rehabilitation period for alcohol detoxification, we applied a complementary approach correlating novel and conventional peripheral blood and urine parameters in combination with clinical and functional evaluation, contextually considered with the patient's history. Biomarkers of oxidative, inflammatory, hepatic, and neurochemical effects paralleled by alcohol craving and clinical scale measurements were determined at two specific time points, i. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Aug 16;94:17-23. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

CAMAG DBS Laboratory, Sonnenmattstrasse 11, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland.

The quantitative analysis of substances in dried blood spots (DBS) has gained vast popularity in the past decade. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) also recently committed to implementing DBS. Currently, DBS sampling mainly has focused on various volumetric sampling devices such as Hemaxis, Capitainer, and Mitra. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Aug 14;94:57-63. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Pain Therapy, Asklepios Klinikum Harburg, Eißendorfer Pferdeweg 52, 21075 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address:

Aim: To test the hypothesis that severe acute poisoning by alcohol and drugs is more frequent at higher rather than at lower ambient temperatures.

Method: This was a prospective observational study performed in a prehospital setting under marine west coast climate conditions. Data from the Emergency Medical Service in Hamburg (Germany) and data from the local weather station were evaluated over a 5-year period. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Aug 20;94:25-41. Epub 2021 Apr 20.

Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States. Electronic address:

Alcohol use and HIV-1 infection have a pervasive impact on brain function, which extends to the requirement, distribution, and utilization of energy within the central nervous system. This effect on neuroenergetics may explain, in part, the exacerbation of HIV-1 disease under the influence of alcohol, particularly the persistence of HIV-associated neurological complications. The objective of this review article is to highlight the possible mechanisms of HIV/AIDS progression in alcohol users from the perspective of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and interruption of energy metabolism. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Aug 3;94:9-15. Epub 2021 Apr 3.

Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

The aim of this paper is to examine the alcohol-related consequences experienced by adults who reported a 2-week period of low mood and identified as a 'self-medicator' compared to those who do not. Our focus is on assessing whether the conceptualization of alcohol use disorder severity differs across adult drinkers who self-medicate with alcohol during a period of low mood, compared to those who do not. This study used secondary data from the NESARC survey. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Aug 26;94:1-8. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States. Electronic address:

Mixing alcohol (ethanol) with caffeinated beverages continues to be a common and risky practice. Energy drinks are one type of caffeinated beverage that may be especially problematic when used as mixers, due to their relatively high caffeine content in combination with their highly sweetened flavor profile. The present study used a mouse model of limited-access drinking and lickometer circuitry to examine the effects of an energy drink anid its caffeine content on ethanol consumption. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Jun 19;93:57-62. Epub 2021 Mar 19.

Department of Public Health, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1, Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan.

Background: Ne-Zake is the drinking of alcohol before sleeping for helping to fall asleep and sleep well, and Mukae-Zake is the drinking of alcohol in the morning for "calming down" or "curing hangovers".

Objective: We sought to examine the relationship of insomnia with Ne-Zake and Mukae-Zake among healthy middle-aged Japanese farmers.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study of 746 participants (mean age, 59. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Jun 16;93:1-10. Epub 2021 Mar 16.

Department for Pharmacology and Biopharmacy, Volgograd State Medical University, 400131, Volgograd, Pavshikh Bortsov Sq.,1, Russian Federation.

Alcohol abuse is a risk factor for heart damage and deterioration of its inotropic function. Currently, there is no pathogenetic pharmacological treatment for alcohol-induced myocardial injury. Therefore, the study of drugs with cardioprotective action is of current interest. Read More

Alcohol 2021 May 13;92:65-72. Epub 2021 Mar 13.

Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent St., New Haven, CT, 06515, United States.

Research suggests that addictive traits are indeed heritable, but very few preclinical studies have explored transgenerational effects of paternal alcohol exposure. The present study addressed this gap in knowledge. We explored whether offspring of ethanol-exposed sires would be more likely to accept ethanol than descendants of water-exposed and control sires. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Jun 11;93:25-34. Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States; Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a wide range of physical and neurobehavioral abnormalities associated with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), is recognized as a significant public health concern. Advancements in the diagnosis of FASD have been hindered by a lack of consensus in diagnostic criteria and limited use of objective biomarkers. Previous research from our group utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure functional network connectivity (FNC), which revealed several sex- and region-dependent alterations in FNC as a result of moderate PAE relative to controls. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Jun 10;93:11-16. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States. Electronic address:

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with significant direct morbidity and mortality. The impact of alcohol on chronic asthma and obstructive lung disease is unknown. AUD treatment may represent a potential target to improve healthcare utilization and healthcare costs in this patient population. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Mar 9. Epub 2021 Mar 9.

Division of PET Imaging, Shiga Medical Center Research Institute, 5-4-30, Moriyama-cho, Moriyama, Shiga, 524-8524, Japan.

Alcohol flushing reaction (AFR) is known as one of risks for esophageal squamous cell cancer and scientists have been elucidating this issue. However, little attention has been given to relevant imaging features. This study aims to investigate whether physiological F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake patterns in vertebrae are associated with drinking-habit or AFR. Read More

Alcohol 2021 May 2;92:41-52. Epub 2021 Mar 2.

Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address:

Purpose: A diet high in fat and ethanol often results in chronic metabolic disorder, hepatic steatosis, and liver inflammation. Constitutive hepatic cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression could protect from high fat-induced metabolism disturbance in a murine model. In this study, we explored the influence of hCOX-2 transgenic [TG] to high fat with ethanol-induced metabolic disorder and liver injury using a mouse animal model. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Jun 1;93:63-70. Epub 2021 Mar 1.

Health Sciences Program, Health Sciences Institute, Veracruzana University, Xalapa, VER, Mexico.

The reduction of sleep hours is a public health problem in contemporary society. It is estimated that humans sleep between 1.5 and 2 h less, per night, than 100 years ago. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Jun 1;93:17-23. Epub 2021 Mar 1.

School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States. Electronic address:

Osteoporosis is characterized by reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and increased bone fragility, which may be modified by lifestyle behaviors. In observational studies, chronic moderate ethanol consumption is associated with higher BMD, but results are inconsistent and underlying mechanisms are unknown. To understand the influence of chronic ethanol consumption on true bone density (Archimedes principal), bone mechanical properties (Young's Modulus of bend), and osteogenic gene expression, 12-month-old male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to a control group or ethanol intervention (20% ethanol in drinking water on alternate days) group for 13 weeks and tibiae and femurs were collected. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Jun 27;93:35-44. Epub 2021 Feb 27.

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States. Electronic address:

Background: Binge drinking can increase an individual's risk of developing alcohol use disorder (AUD). Ethanol targets multiple neurotransmitter systems; however, not much is known about its effects on the cholinergic system. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated ion channels, the heteromeric αβ nAChR being a commonly expressed subtype. Read More

Alcohol 2021 May 18;92:25-34. Epub 2021 Feb 18.

Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, The University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.

Wrist-worn alcohol biosensor technology has developed rapidly in recent years. These devices are light, easy to wear, relatively inexpensive, and resemble commercial fitness trackers. As a result, they may be more suitable for a wide range of clinical and research applications. Read More

Alcohol 2021 May 11;92:53-63. Epub 2021 Feb 11.

Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

There is evidence for a dramatic relationship between depression and alcohol consumption. Depressed patients may abuse ethanol because this agent reduces the symptoms of depression. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the NMDA/nitric oxide/cGMP pathway in the antidepressant-like effect of ethanol in an animal model of behavioral despair. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Jun 6;93:45-56. Epub 2021 Feb 6.

Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience at Oregon Health & Science University and Veterans Administration Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States.

The High Drinking in the Dark mouse lines (HDID-1 and HDID-2) were selectively bred to achieve high blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) in the Drinking in the Dark (DID) task, a widely used model of binge-like intake of 20% ethanol. There are several components that differentiate DID from other animal models of ethanol intake: time of day of testing, length of ethanol access, single-bottle access, and individual housing. Here, we sought to determine how some of these individual factors contribute to the high ethanol intake observed in HDID mice. Read More

Alcohol 2021 May 6;92:35-40. Epub 2021 Feb 6.

Department of Clinical Radiology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Clinical Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.

Excessive alcohol use results in cerebellar damage in adults, but there has been less research on how alcohol use during adolescence affects the cerebellum. In this study, we observed that heavy drinking from adolescence to young adulthood was associated with altered volumes of cerebellar lobules. The study included two groups consisting of 33 heavy-drinking and 25 light-drinking participants. Read More

Alcohol 2021 Feb 4. Epub 2021 Feb 4.

Laboratory Animal Center, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 32503 5, China. Electronic address:

Background: Alcohol abuse has become a serious health issue worldwide. Ketamine can reduce addiction risk among patients with alcohol use disorders. This study aimed to determine the effects of alcohol on the pharmacokinetics of ketamine during long-term alcohol exposure. Read More

Alcohol 2021 May 16;92:73-80. Epub 2021 Jan 16.

Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States; Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States.

Alcohol dependence is characterized by compulsive alcohol use. Alcohol-paired stimuli can drive compulsive alcohol use, induce craving, and lead to relapse. Alcohol dependence is highly heritable, and individuals with a family history are at elevated risk to develop an alcohol use disorder. Read More

Alcohol 2021 May 16;92:1-9. Epub 2021 Jan 16.

Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States; Ralph A. Johnson Veterans Administration Medical Center, Charleston, SC, United States.

Repeated cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure increase voluntary consumption of alcohol (ethanol) in mice. Previous reports from our laboratory show that CIE increases extracellular glutamate in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and that manipulating accumbal glutamate concentrations will alter ethanol drinking, indicating that glutamate homeostasis plays a crucial role in ethanol drinking in this model. A number of studies have shown that ceftriaxone increases GLT-1 expression, the major glutamate transporter, and that treatment with this antibiotic reduces ethanol drinking. Read More

Alcohol 2021 05 9;92:21-24. Epub 2021 Jan 9.

Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University Providence, RI, United States; Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, School of Public Health, Brown University Providence, RI, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States. Electronic address:

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) altered the logistics of ongoing randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The need to reduce in-person research and clinical activities, however, presented an additional level of complexity in order to continue conducting RCTs that focused on the development of medications for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). The visits required a systematic objective evaluation from the physician and mental health professional and clinical staff, as many of the safety and efficacy assessments are self-reported. Read More

Alcohol 2021 May 9;92:11-19. Epub 2021 Jan 9.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States. Electronic address:

Curiosity and intent to use alcohol in pre-adolescence is a risk factor for later experimentation and use, yet we know little of how curiosity about use develops. Here, we examine factors that may influence curiosity about alcohol use, as it may be an important predictor of later drinking behavior. Cross-sectional data on youth ages 10-11 from the ongoing Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development℠ (ABCD) Study Year 1 follow-up were used (n = 2,334; NDA 2. Read More