University of Washington other research news
Washington researchers reported in Nature that levels of the brain messenger NPY are inversely related to alcohol consumption. Mice that completely lack NPY due to targeted gene disruption increased their intake of solutions containing ethanol and were less sensitive to the sedative/hypnotic action of the drinks. In contrast, transgenic mice overexpressing NPY have lowered preference for ethanol and are more sensitive to its sedation. Metabolism of alcohol and plasma levels of alcohol were the same in both cases. NPY has previously been linked to feeding and seizures in rodent models, leading the researchers to speculate that a reduced threshold to anxiety or increased neuronal activity in cases where NPY levels are reduced might be ameliorated by ethanol intake. ...