Can Fruit Flies Get Drunk?
WouterA new study shows that fruit flies can get drunk and behave like human alcoholics. The study, published in the Cell Press journal Current Biology, is the first to examine the self-administration of alcohol by insects. In addition, it explains why chronic drinkers are able to handle large quantities of alcohol but feel relaxed when drunk. Researchers believe that this may be due to a hangover gene. Regular drinkers are also able to increase their tolerance to alcohol, meaning that they need more of it to become tipsy. The researchers believe the increased tolerance may be an early warning sign of alcoholism.
Some insects, such as wasps, also get drunk by eating fermented fruits and sugar. The sugar in these fruits converts to alcohol in their bodies, which causes them to feel drowsy. The resulting buzz is a similar to the feeling of alcohol that we experience when we drink alcohol. However, flies do not get drunk by drinking water. Instead, they use water to cool their nests, and they also share it with their larvae.
Flies also disinhibit when they get drunk, resulting in a more promiscuous behavior. In a study by Park et al., researchers discovered that alcohol vapor in food increased the activity of T1 cVA sensing neurons, as well as ai2 farnesol-sensitive sensilla. As a result, males became aggressive toward each other.
