Can Rats Get Drunk Like People?
WouterA new study shows that rats can get drunk just like people. Scientists from Purdue University and Indiana University created a population of teetotaling and hard-drinking rats and then compared their genetic makeup. The results revealed 930 genes that were associated with alcohol dependence. Some of these genes were related to critical brain functions.
Alcohol is known to impair coordination, and inhibits the activity of brain regions that provide fine motor control. Researchers found that oxytocin prevented these effects. Therefore, rats that were fed alcohol lived longer than those who did not drink. The effect of alcohol on rats may depend on how much the rats consume and the genes that are associated with alcoholism.
It has long been known that alcohol affects brain chemicals. It can stimulate nerve cells in the hypothalamus and activate the neurons in the brain that are responsible for hunger and thirst. When rats drink, their brains release the chemicals that make them feel hungry, which means that they’ll want to eat until they feel full. In addition, alcohol causes them to experience what humans experience when they’re hangovered. However, unlike humans, rats don’t drink alcohol to the point of intoxication.
Researchers are using alcoholic rats to develop treatments for alcohol use disorder. The disorder affects 16.3 million Americans each year and killed approximately 88,000 people in 2014. Identifying genes linked to alcoholism could change the way alcoholism is treated. It could help doctors identify who is at risk for alcoholism and develop drugs to counteract its effects.
