BDNF in ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex to dorsolateral striatum circuit moderates alcohol consumption, seeking and relapse.

ABSTRACT: BDNF plays a crucial role in shaping the structure and function of neurons. In rodents, BDNF signaling in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) is part of an endogenous pathway that protects against the development of phenotypes associated with alcohol use. Dysregulation of BDNF levels in the cortex or dysfunction of BDNF/TrkB signaling in the DLS of rodents results in the escalation of alcohol drinking and compulsive alcohol intake. The major source of BDNF in the striatum is the prefrontal cortex. We identified a small ensemble of BDNF-positive neurons in the mouse ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex (vlOFC), a region implicated in alcohol use disorder (AUD), that extend axonal projections to the DLS, which is associated with alcohol drinking behaviors. We speculated that BDNF in vlOFC-to-DLS c

SUBMITTER: Gunasekaran S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12824369 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature