Ezquer, Fernando and Quintanilla, María Elena and Morales, Paola and Santapau, Daniela and Munita, José Manuel and Moya-Flores, Francisco and Ezquer, Marcelo and Herrera-Marschitz, Mario and Israel, Yedy (2022) A dual treatment blocks alcohol binge-drinking relapse: microbiota as a new player. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 236, 109466. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.
External website: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/...
RATIONALE: Gut microbiota communicates information to the brain. Some animals are born with a gut microbiota that predisposes to high alcohol consumption, and transplantation of fecal material from alcoholics to mice increases animal preference for ethanol. Alcohol-use-disorders are chronic conditions where relapse is the hallmark. A predictive animal model of relapse is the "alcohol deprivation effect" where ethanol re-access is allowed following chronic alcohol intake and a long alcohol deprivation. The present study evaluates the effect of gut microbiota modification on relapse, as an adjunct to N-acetylcysteine + Acetylsalicylic acid administration, which inhibits the alcohol-induced hyper-glutamatergic condition.
METHODS: Rats bred as heavy alcohol consumers (UChB) were allowed ethanol intake for one month, were deprived of alcohol for two-weeks and subsequently offered re-access to ethanol. Prior to ethanol re-access animals received orally either (i) vehicle-control, (ii) Lactobacillus-rhamnosus-GG after antibiotic treatment (LGG); (iii) N-acetylcysteine+Acetylsalicylic acid (NAC/ASA) or (iv) both treatments: LGG+ (NAC/ASA).
RESULTS: Marked binge drinking (1.75 g ethanol/kg in 60 min) and blood alcohol levels exceeding 80 mg/dl were observed in the control group upon ethanol-re-access. Lactobacillus-GG or (NAC+ASA) treatments inhibited alcohol intake by 66-80%. The combination of both treatments virtually suppressed (inhibition of 90%) the re-access binge-like drinking, showing additive effects. Treatment with NAC+ASA increased the levels of glutamate transporters xCT and GLT-1 in nucleus accumbens, while Lactobacillus-GG administration increased those of the dopamine transporter (DAT).
CONCLUSIONS: The administration of a well-accepted probiotic may be of value as an adjunct in the treatment of alcohol-use-disorders.
A Substance use and dependence > Personal history of substance use (pathway) > Relapse / Recurrence
B Substances > Alcohol
G Health and disease > State of health > Physical health
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Treatment and maintenance > Treatment factors
VA Geographic area > South America
Repository Staff Only: item control page