Gut Microbiota-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Influence Alcohol Intake Preferences in Rats.

ABSTRACT: Growing preclinical and clinical evidence suggests a link between gut microbiota dysbiosis and problematic alcohol consumption. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are key mediators involved in bacteria-to-host communication. However, their potential role in mediating addictive behaviour remains unexplored. This study investigates the role of gut microbiota-derived bacterial extracellular vesicles (bEVs) in driving high alcohol consumption. bEVs were isolated from the gut microbiota of a high alcohol-drinking rat strain (UChB rats), either ethanol-naïve or following chronic alcohol consumption and administered intraperitoneally or orally to alcohol-rejecting male and female Wistar rats. Both types of UChB-derived bEVs increased Wistar's voluntary alcohol consumption (three bottle choice test) up

SUBMITTER: Diaz-Ubilla M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11913890 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature