title: N-acetylcysteine Prevents Alcohol Related Neuroinflammation in Rats.
abstract: Alcoholism has been characterized as a systemic pro-inflammatory condition and alcohol withdrawal has been linked to various changes in the brain homeostasis, including oxidative stress and glutamate hyperactivity. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant multi-target drug with promising results in psychiatry, including drug addiction. We assessed the effects of NAC on the serum and brain inflammatory cytokines after cessation of chronic alcohol treatment in rats. Male Wistar rats received 2 g/kg alcohol or vehicle twice a day by oral gavage for 30 days. Rats were treated, from day 31 to 34, with NAC (60 or 90 mg/kg) or saline, intraperitoneally, once daily. Rats were sacrificed at day 35, trunk blood was collected and the frontal cortex and hippocampus dissected for assessment of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, IL-10. NAC prevented the increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the decrease of anti-inflammatory cytokine in the frontal cortex and hippocampus. No changes were observed on serum cytokines. We conclude that NAC protects against inflammation induced by chronic (30 days) alcohol ingestion followed by 5 days cessation in two rat brain areas. Because inflammation has been documented and associated with craving and relapse in alcoholics, the data revealed by this study points to the validity of NAC clinical evaluation in the context of alcohol detoxification and withdrawal.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500/305, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050170, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia e Terapêutica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500/313, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050170, Brazil.
authors.forename: Solange
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bandiera
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica, UFRGS, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Débora Guerini
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica, UFRGS, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bellaver
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia e Terapêutica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500/313, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050170, Brazil.
authors.forename: Greice
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caletti
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica, UFRGS, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035003, Brazil.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quincozes-Santos
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia e Terapêutica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500/313, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050170, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica, UFRGS, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elisabetsky
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500/305, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050170, Brazil. rosane.gomez@ufrgs.br.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia e Terapêutica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500/313, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050170, Brazil. rosane.gomez@ufrgs.br.
authors.forename: Rosane
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0868-8394
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gomez
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D000431:Ethanol; D000111:Acetylcysteine
keywords: Cytokines; Drug abuse; Ethanol; Frontal cortex; Hippocampus; NAC