Exercise as a Natural Kappa Opioid Receptor Antagonist to Treat Binge Drinking Withdrawal
Abstract
Binge drinking is a serious public health problem in the United States that is especially prevalent among college students. The results of a national survey reported 33% of full-time college students aged 18-22 engaged in binge drinking during the previous month. Positive results have been demonstrated in clinical trials that treated alcohol abuse with aerobic exercise. Research in animal models aims to answer remaining questions regarding implementation across sexes and age groups by studying underlying neurobiological mechanisms. One such mechanism is the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) of the endogenous brain opioid system. In animal models, administration of a KOR antagonist reduces preference for alcohol in chronic drinking models with conflicting results in binge drinking models. These KOR antagonists have also been shown to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms associated with ethanol withdrawal. Chronic treadmill exercise reduces KOR binding and G-protein activation in rodents, suggesting exercise could have a similar effect on alcohol preference as KOR antagonists. Exercise treatment concurrent with ethanol exposure attenuated an ethanol associated increase in KOR receptor density; however, exercise during withdrawal from binge drinking remains unexplored but is important for translational relevance to clinical use. The aim of the present study is to determine the effect of exercise on anxiety behaviors associated with withdrawal from adolescent binge drinking, as well as changes in brain KOR binding in mice. Sex differences in these outcomes will also be determined with the goal of improving the clinical use of exercise to effectively treat binge drinking.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Lisa Robinson
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-5-2023 12:00 PM
End Date
4-6-2023 4:00 PM
Exercise as a Natural Kappa Opioid Receptor Antagonist to Treat Binge Drinking Withdrawal
Alvin Sherman Library
Binge drinking is a serious public health problem in the United States that is especially prevalent among college students. The results of a national survey reported 33% of full-time college students aged 18-22 engaged in binge drinking during the previous month. Positive results have been demonstrated in clinical trials that treated alcohol abuse with aerobic exercise. Research in animal models aims to answer remaining questions regarding implementation across sexes and age groups by studying underlying neurobiological mechanisms. One such mechanism is the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) of the endogenous brain opioid system. In animal models, administration of a KOR antagonist reduces preference for alcohol in chronic drinking models with conflicting results in binge drinking models. These KOR antagonists have also been shown to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms associated with ethanol withdrawal. Chronic treadmill exercise reduces KOR binding and G-protein activation in rodents, suggesting exercise could have a similar effect on alcohol preference as KOR antagonists. Exercise treatment concurrent with ethanol exposure attenuated an ethanol associated increase in KOR receptor density; however, exercise during withdrawal from binge drinking remains unexplored but is important for translational relevance to clinical use. The aim of the present study is to determine the effect of exercise on anxiety behaviors associated with withdrawal from adolescent binge drinking, as well as changes in brain KOR binding in mice. Sex differences in these outcomes will also be determined with the goal of improving the clinical use of exercise to effectively treat binge drinking.
