A previous study made reference to the fact that the predisposition or inclination towards certain types of alcoholic beverages was given by genetics. Now, a new work concludes that going from a moderate alcohol intake to a problem with it (alcoholism) is also in the genes, specifically by a segment of genetic material known as microRNA.
A team of scientists from the University of California in San Francisco (USA) carried out an investigation to discover what brain mechanisms play an important role in alcohol-related disorders . To do this, they conducted an experiment with mice, examining a protein known as Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). The researchers observed that when the mice consumed large amounts of alcohol for prolonged periods, BDNF levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (the region of the brain involved in decision-making) dropped significantly and levels of a microRNA increased .
The research showed that the increase in this microRNA led the mice to consume more alcohol than normal. However, when they used an inhibitor of this microRNA, the BDNF level returned to normal and alcohol consumption also became more natural, showing that microRNA levels in the brain are important in the development of alcohol addiction .
“Our results suggest that BDNF protects against the transition from moderate to alcohol use disorders and uncontrolled alcohol use. When there is a break in this protective pathway, however, uncontrolled overconsumption develops, and microRNAs are a possible mechanism in this breakdown. This mechanism may be the reason why 10% of the population develop alcohol use disorders ”, says Dorit Ron, leader of the research.
The results of the study have been published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry .
