Adolescent Alcohol Exposure Produces Sex-Specific Long-term Hyperalgesia via Changes in Central Amygdala Circuit Function.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Exposure to alcohol during adolescence produces many effects that last well into adulthood. Acute alcohol use is analgesic, and people living with pain report drinking alcohol to reduce pain, but chronic alcohol use produces increases in pain sensitivity.

Methods

We tested the acute and lasting effects of chronic adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure on pain-related behavioral and brain changes in male and female rats. We also tested the long-term effects of AIE on synaptic transmission in midbrain (ventrolateral periaqueductal gray [vlPAG])-projecting central amygdala (CeA) neurons using whole-cell electrophysiology. Finally, we used circuit-based approaches (DREADDs [designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs]) to test the role of vlPAG-

SUBMITTER: Secci ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10866691 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature