Effect of alcohol use disorder on oxytocin peptide and receptor mRNA expression in human brain: A post-mortem case-control study.

ABSTRACT: Animal and human evidence supports a role for oxytocin in alcohol-seeking behaviors. There is interest, therefore, in targeting the oxytocin pathway as a new pharmacologic approach to treat alcohol use disorder. To this end, it is important to understand the effect of alcohol use disorder on endogenous oxytocin in brain regions that are relevant for the initiation and maintenance of alcohol use disorder. We examined human post-mortem brain tissue from males with alcohol use disorder (n=11) compared to nonalcohol dependent male controls (n=16). We a priori targeted five brain regions that in rodent studies, are projection areas for oxytocin neurons: nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, ventral tegmental area and prefrontal cortex. Fold change in mRNA levels of oxytocin peptide and rece

SUBMITTER: Lee MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12439254 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature