Skip Navigation



Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access published online on October 13, 2009
Alcohol and Alcoholism, doi:10.1093/alcalc/agp065
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mutschler, J.
Right arrow Articles by Kiefer, F.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mutschler, J.
Right arrow Articles by Kiefer, F.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press [on behalf of the Medical Council on Alcohol]. All rights reserved

Augmented Stress-Induced Alcohol Drinking and Withdrawal in Mice Lacking Functional Natriuretic Peptide-A Receptors

Jochen Mutschler1,*,{dagger}, Ainhoa Bilbao2,{dagger}, Christoph von der Goltz1, Cueneyt Demiralay3, Holger Jahn3, Klaus Wiedemann3, Rainer Spanagel2 and Falk Kiefer1

1 Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, J 5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany;
2 Department of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, J 5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
3 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Hamburg, Martinistr. 51 20241 Hamburg, Germany

* Corresponding author: Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, J 5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany. Tel: +49-621-1703-3803; Fax: +49-621-1703-3505. E-mail: jochen.mutschler{at}zi-mannheim.de

Received 23 June 2009; first review notified 24 July 2009; in revised form 29 July 2009; accepted 28 August 2009


  Abstract

Aims: Preclinical and clinical data suggest an involvement of atrial natriuretic peptides (ANP) in alcohol-associated psychopathology. We now present first data on alcohol drinking behaviour in mice lacking a functional natriuretic peptide-A (NPR-A) receptor. Methods: NPR-A–/– and wild-type mice were given a free choice between water and increasing concentrations of alcohol (2–16%). A forced swim stress was performed thereafter on three consecutive days to investigate stress-induced alcohol drinking. Additionally, neurobehavioural alcohol withdrawal response was investigated following 14 days of forced-alcohol intake. Results: Whereas basal alcohol intake did not differ between NPR-A mutants and wild-type littermates, NPR-A mutants showed an increased stress-induced alcohol intake and aggravated neurobehavioural symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Conclusions: Mice lacking a functional NPR-A receptor represent a useful model to study the role of the ANP system in alcohol-associated pathology. To study the role of the natriuretic NPR-A gene for the modulation of risk of alcohol-related disorders, NPR-A-related polymorphisms should be targeted in clinical studies.

{dagger} These authors contributed equally to this work.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.