Kappa Opioid Regulation of the Enhanced Responsiveness to Stress Observed During Protracted Abstinence From Alcohol
Presentation Type
Oral and/or Visual Presentation
Presenter Major(s)
Biology, Psychology
Mentor Information
Glenn Valdez
Department
Psychology
Location
Kirkhof Center 2270
Start Date
11-4-2012 3:00 PM
Keywords
Health, Life Science, Social Science
Abstract
The biology behind long-term changes in alcohol withdrawal has yet to be explored. Kappa opioid receptors (KORs) may be a key mediator in the negative affect often seen with drugs of abuse. This experiment sought to determine the role of KORs in regulating stress during protracted withdrawal. Rats fed an ethanol liquid diet were exposed to a mild stressor six weeks after removal of the diet. The ability of the KOR antagonist nor-BNI to reduce anxiety-like behavior was then investigated. Behavior was also examined after injections of the KOR agonist U50,488 following removal of the diet. Rats with a history of dependence showed increased anxiety-like behavior when exposed to the mild stressor, an effect blocked by nor-BNI. Injections of U50,488 did not lead to an anxiety-like response. These results suggest that preventing KOR activation may be sufficient in reducing responsiveness to stress during long-term withdrawal. However, KORs may not be necessary in producing anxiety.
Kappa Opioid Regulation of the Enhanced Responsiveness to Stress Observed During Protracted Abstinence From Alcohol
Kirkhof Center 2270
The biology behind long-term changes in alcohol withdrawal has yet to be explored. Kappa opioid receptors (KORs) may be a key mediator in the negative affect often seen with drugs of abuse. This experiment sought to determine the role of KORs in regulating stress during protracted withdrawal. Rats fed an ethanol liquid diet were exposed to a mild stressor six weeks after removal of the diet. The ability of the KOR antagonist nor-BNI to reduce anxiety-like behavior was then investigated. Behavior was also examined after injections of the KOR agonist U50,488 following removal of the diet. Rats with a history of dependence showed increased anxiety-like behavior when exposed to the mild stressor, an effect blocked by nor-BNI. Injections of U50,488 did not lead to an anxiety-like response. These results suggest that preventing KOR activation may be sufficient in reducing responsiveness to stress during long-term withdrawal. However, KORs may not be necessary in producing anxiety.