THE ESSENTIAL
- According to specialists, a human being should not consume more than 10 glasses of alcohol per week and not drink at least two days in the week.
- Alcohol consumption contributes directly or indirectly to 11% of male deaths and 4% of female deaths in France. It is the second leading cause of premature death. Thus, in 2015, 41,000 deaths were attributable to alcohol (30,000 among men and 11,000 among women).
- Alcohol consumption contributes directly or indirectly to 11% of male deaths and 4% of female deaths in France, according to Inserm. It is the second leading cause of premature death. Thus, in 2015, 41,000 deaths were attributable to alcohol (30,000 in men and 11,000 in women)
A team of German researchers has discovered that the administration of a single dose of ethanol permanently alters the morphology of neurons. Their work has been published in the American journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Flies and mice
To reach this conclusion, the scientists used fruit flies and mice to see the effects of alcohol. “We set out to discover ethanol-dependent molecular changes. These, in turn, provide the basis for permanent cellular changes following a single ethanol intoxication. The effects of a single administration of alcohol have been examined at the molecular, cellular and behavioral level”explains Henrike Schloz, co-author of the study, in a press release.
It turned out that taking alcohol modified two parameters: the dynamics of mitochondria and the balance between synapses in neurons. The mitochondria, a kind of “power station” of the cell, have this ability to move to give energy to nerve cells. Nevertheless, the appearance of ethanol caused a disturbance in their movement.
The changes have also become permanent, as confirmed by the attitudes of the flies and mice during the experiment. In particular, the researchers noticed an increase in alcohol consumption and alcohol relapses in the guinea pigs.
An impact on addiction
The morphological remodeling of neurons is a known process of learning and memory. These mechanisms would be at the center of the formation of the associative memory linking rewards to drugs.
In other words, the morphological changes noticed can change the formation of memory related to ethanol. With the appearance of mitochondria in neurons, important in plasticity and synaptic transmission, scientists suggest that these changes from a cellular point of view are decisive in the development of addictive behaviors.
“It is remarkable that the cellular processes contributing to such complex reward behavior are conserved across species, suggesting a similar role in humans”says Henrike Scholz.
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