Research Why alcohol makes people addicted faster

Which molecular mechanism is behind alcohol dependence??

Alcohol dependence is a heavy burden on the body and mind of the person concerned. But what actually leads to an addiction to alcoholic drinks? Researchers have now been able to uncover the molecular mechanism of alcohol dependence.

The researchers from Linköping University in Sweden have determined in their current research what a molecular mechanism behind alcohol dependence is. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Science".

Is there a molecular mechanism in the body that causes addicts to become addicted to alcohol? (Image: eyetronic / fotolia.com)

Depends on alcohol dependence with a protein?

What causes a person to become dependent on the consumption of alcohol? A recent study should now provide answers to this question. According to the scientists, lower levels of a protein in the brain could be the reason why those affected can no longer live without alcohol.

Motivational control of addicts does not work

A core feature of addictions is that sufferers know that addiction harms them, may even kill them, but they still do not change their behavior, explains study author Markus Heilig from Linköping University in Sweden. For the addicts, so-called motivational control does not seem to work properly.

Examination of mice brought insightful insights

For their study, scientists used a model with mice to measure the expression of hundreds of genes in five areas of the brain. The study on the animals provided very insightful insights into the human brain and the addiction patterns, say the doctors. The study also examined the role of reduced GAT-3 levels in rats. These rats initially preferred sweetened water to alcohol. After the GAT-3 reduction, they were again faced with the choice between alcohol and sugar. The results of the study show that 15 percent of adult rats preferred alcohol compared to a high-quality reward.

Alcohol-dependent people had low protein levels

The reduction in the expression of the transporter had a remarkable effect on the behavior of the rats. In animals that preferred the sweet taste over alcohol, the preference reversed and they began to choose alcohol, reports study author Eric Augier from Linköping University. In addition, the team also examined the GAT-3 levels in the brain tissue of deceased humans, in which an alcohol dependence was previously documented. The experts found that these individuals also had lower protein levels compared to those from a control group.

The results improve the treatment of alcohol dependence?

Alcohol addiction is a serious problem that affects many people today. The results of the study will hopefully help to improve the treatment of alcohol dependence in the future, the researchers emphasize. (As)