An opponent process for alcohol addiction based on changes in endocrine gland mass
Summary: Consuming addictive drugs is often initially pleasurable, but escalating drug intake eventually recruits physiological anti-reward systems called opponent processes that cause tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. Opponent processes are fundamental for the addiction process, but their physiolo...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-03-01
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| Series: | iScience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258900422100095X |
| _version_ | 1818645457084088320 |
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| author | Omer Karin Moriya Raz Uri Alon |
| author_facet | Omer Karin Moriya Raz Uri Alon |
| author_sort | Omer Karin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: Consuming addictive drugs is often initially pleasurable, but escalating drug intake eventually recruits physiological anti-reward systems called opponent processes that cause tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. Opponent processes are fundamental for the addiction process, but their physiological basis is not fully characterized. Here, we propose an opponent processes mechanism centered on the endocrine stress response, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. We focus on alcohol addiction, where the HPA axis is activated and secretes β-endorphin, causing euphoria and analgesia. Using a mathematical model, we show that slow changes in the functional mass of HPA glands act as an opponent process for β-endorphin secretion. The model explains hormone dynamics in alcohol addiction and experiments on alcohol preference in rodents. The opponent process is based on fold-change detection (FCD) where β-endorphin responses are relative rather than absolute; FCD confers vulnerability to addiction but has adaptive roles for learning. Our model suggests gland mass changes as potential targets for intervention in addiction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T00:31:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ecdb3d36617d42148d2fb715dacd48e1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2589-0042 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T00:31:03Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iScience |
| spelling | doaj.art-ecdb3d36617d42148d2fb715dacd48e12022-12-21T22:10:17ZengElsevieriScience2589-00422021-03-01243102127An opponent process for alcohol addiction based on changes in endocrine gland massOmer Karin0Moriya Raz1Uri Alon2Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, IsraelDepartment of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, IsraelDepartment of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel; Corresponding authorSummary: Consuming addictive drugs is often initially pleasurable, but escalating drug intake eventually recruits physiological anti-reward systems called opponent processes that cause tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. Opponent processes are fundamental for the addiction process, but their physiological basis is not fully characterized. Here, we propose an opponent processes mechanism centered on the endocrine stress response, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. We focus on alcohol addiction, where the HPA axis is activated and secretes β-endorphin, causing euphoria and analgesia. Using a mathematical model, we show that slow changes in the functional mass of HPA glands act as an opponent process for β-endorphin secretion. The model explains hormone dynamics in alcohol addiction and experiments on alcohol preference in rodents. The opponent process is based on fold-change detection (FCD) where β-endorphin responses are relative rather than absolute; FCD confers vulnerability to addiction but has adaptive roles for learning. Our model suggests gland mass changes as potential targets for intervention in addiction.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258900422100095XHuman PhysiologyMathematical BiosciencesSystems Biology |
| spellingShingle | Omer Karin Moriya Raz Uri Alon An opponent process for alcohol addiction based on changes in endocrine gland mass iScience Human Physiology Mathematical Biosciences Systems Biology |
| title | An opponent process for alcohol addiction based on changes in endocrine gland mass |
| title_full | An opponent process for alcohol addiction based on changes in endocrine gland mass |
| title_fullStr | An opponent process for alcohol addiction based on changes in endocrine gland mass |
| title_full_unstemmed | An opponent process for alcohol addiction based on changes in endocrine gland mass |
| title_short | An opponent process for alcohol addiction based on changes in endocrine gland mass |
| title_sort | opponent process for alcohol addiction based on changes in endocrine gland mass |
| topic | Human Physiology Mathematical Biosciences Systems Biology |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258900422100095X |
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