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Behavioral Neurobiology of Alcohol Addiction pp 163–184Cite as

What is in that Drink: The Biological Actions of Ethanol, Acetaldehyde, and Salsolinol

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Part of the book series: Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences ((CTBN,volume 13))

Abstract

Alcohol abuse and alcoholism represent substantial problems that affect a large portion of individuals throughout the world. Extensive research continues to be conducted in an effort to identify the biological basis of the reinforcing properties of alcohol in order to develop effective pharmacotherapeutic and behavioral interventions. One theory that has developed within the alcohol field over the past four decades postulates that the reinforcing properties of alcohol are due to the action of the metabolites/products of alcohol within the central nervous system (CNS). The most extreme version of this theory suggests that the biologically active metabolites/products of alcohol, created from the breakdown from alcohol, are the ultimate source of the reinforcing properties of alcohol. The contrary theory proposes that the reinforcing properties of alcohol are mediated completely through the interaction of the ethanol molecule with several neurochemical systems within the CNS. While there are scientific findings that offer support for both of these stances, the reinforcing properties of alcohol are most likely generated through a complex series of peripheral and central effects of both alcohol and its metabolites. Nonetheless, the development of a greater understanding for how the metabolites/products of alcohol contribute to the reinforcing properties of alcohol is an important factor in the development of efficacious pharmacotherapies for alcohol abuse and alcoholism. This chapter is intended to provide a historical perspective of the role of acetaldehyde (the first metabolite of alcohol) in alcohol reinforcement as well as review the basic research literature on the effects of acetaldehyde (and acetaldehyde metabolites/products) within the CNS and how these function with regard to alcohol reward.

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Abbreviations

Triazole:

3-amino-1,2,4-triazole

ACD:

Acetaldehyde

ADH:

Alcohol dehydrogenase

IA :

A-type potassium current

BEC:

Blood ethanol concentration

CNS:

Central nervous system

CPP:

Conditioned place preference

DOR:

Delta opioid receptor

2 D2 :

Dopamine

DA:

Dopamine

EtOH:

Ethanol

GABA:

Gamma-aminobutyric acid

GLU:

Glutamate

IH :

Hyperpolarization-activated inward current

ICV:

Intra-cerebral ventricular

IV:

Intra-venous

mPFC:

Medial prefrontal cortex

μM:

Micro-molar

MOR:

Mu opioid receptor

NIAAA:

National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

AcbC:

Nucleus accumbens core

AcbSh:

Nucleus accumbens shell

Acb:

Nucleus accumbens

5HT3 :

Serotonin 3

5-HT:

Serotonin

TBCs:

Tetrahydrobetacarbolines

SAL:

Salsolinol

THIQs:

Tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids

THP:

Tetrahydropapaveroline

ALDH:

Aldehyde dehydrogenase

US FDA:

United States Food and Drug Administration

VTA:

Ventral tegmental area

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, 791 Union Drive, Indianapolis, IN, 46202-4887, USA

    Gerald A. Deehan Jr. & Zachary A. Rodd

  2. Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA

    Mark S. Brodie

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  1. Gerald A. Deehan Jr.
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  2. Mark S. Brodie
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  3. Zachary A. Rodd
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Correspondence to Gerald A. Deehan Jr. .

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  1. Abt. Psychopharmakologie, Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, J 5, Mannheim, 68159, Germany

    Wolfgang H. Sommer

  2. Abt. Psychopharmakologie, Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, J 5, Mannheim, 68159, Germany

    Rainer Spanagel

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Deehan, G.A., Brodie, M.S., Rodd, Z.A. (2011). What is in that Drink: The Biological Actions of Ethanol, Acetaldehyde, and Salsolinol. In: Sommer, W., Spanagel, R. (eds) Behavioral Neurobiology of Alcohol Addiction. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, vol 13. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28720-6_198

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