Role of feeding-related pathways in alcohol dependence: A focus on sweet preference, NPY, and ghrelin.
Converging research evidence suggests that alcohol and food-seeking behaviors share common neural pathways. There is preclinical and clinical evidence linking the consumption of sweets to alcohol intake in both animals and humans. In addition, a growing body of animal and human literature suggests the involvement of "feeding-related" peptides in alcohol-seeking behavior. In particular, both central and peripheral appetitive peptides have shown a possible role in alcohol dependence. The present mini-review will summarize the literature on the link between sweet preference and alcohol dependence, and on the role of feeding-related peptides in alcohol dependence. Specifically, in an attempt to narrow the field, the present mini-review will focus on 2 specific pathways, the central neuropeptide Y and the peripheral gut peptide ghrelin. Although more research is needed, data available suggest that studying feeding-related pathways in alcohol dependence may have theoretic, biologic, diagnostic, and therapeutic implications.
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA. lorenzo_leggio@brown.edu
Lorenzo
L
Leggio
Giovanni
G
Addolorato
Andrea
A
Cippitelli
Elisabet
E
Jerlhag
Alexei B
AB
Kampov-Polevoy
Robert M
RM
Swift
D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000437:Alcoholism; D000818:Animals; D001069:Appetite Regulation; D016739:Behavior, Addictive; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009434:Neural Pathways; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000502:physiology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012201:Reward; D055697:Taste Perception
D054439:Ghrelin; D009478:Neuropeptide Y