Alcohol-induced neurodegeneration: when, where and why?
This manuscript reviews the proceedings of a symposium organized by Drs. Antonio Noronha and Fulton Crews presented at the 2003 Research Society on Alcoholism meeting. The purpose of the symposium was to examine recent findings on when alcohol induced brain damage occurs, e.g., during intoxication and/or during alcohol withdrawal. Further studies investigate specific brain regions (where) and the mechanisms (why) of alcoholic neurodegeneration. The presentations were (1) Characterization of Synaptic Loss in Cerebella of Mature and Senescent Rats after Lengthy Chronic Ethanol Consumption, (2) Ethanol Withdrawal Both Causes Neurotoxicity and Inhibits Neuronal Recovery Processes in Rat Organotypic Hippocampal Cultures, (3) Binge Drinking-Induced Brain Damage: Genetic and Age Related Effects, (4) Binge Ethanol-Induced Brain Damage: Involvement of Edema, Arachidonic Acid and Tissue Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFalpha), and (5) Cyclic AMP Cascade, Stem Cells and Ethanol. Taken together these studies suggest that alcoholic neurodegeneration occurs through multiple mechanisms and in multiple brain regions both during intoxication and withdrawal.
Crews
Fulton T
FT
University at Buffalo, SUNY, NY, USA. ftcrews@med.unc.edu
Collins
Michael A
MA
Dlugos
Cynthia
C
Littleton
John
J
Wilkins
Lincoln
L
Neafsey
Edward J
EJ
Pentney
Roberta
R
Snell
Lawrence D
LD
Tabakoff
Boris
B
Zou
Jian
J
Noronha
Antonio
A
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012955:Societies, Medical; D014481:United States
D000431:Ethanol