LAUSR.org creates dashboard-style pages of related content for over 1.5 million academic articles. Sign Up to like articles & get recommendations!

The effects of acute alcohol administration on circulating endocannabinoid levels in humans

Photo from wikipedia

Several lines of evidence suggest that endocannabinoid signalling may influence alcohol consumption. Preclinical studies have found that pharmacological blockade of cannabinoid receptor 1 leads to reductions in alcohol intake. Furthermore,… Click to show full abstract

Several lines of evidence suggest that endocannabinoid signalling may influence alcohol consumption. Preclinical studies have found that pharmacological blockade of cannabinoid receptor 1 leads to reductions in alcohol intake. Furthermore, variations in endocannabinoid metabolism between individuals may be associated with the presence and severity of alcohol use disorder. However, little is known about the acute effects of alcohol on the endocannabinoid system in humans. In this study, we evaluated the effect of acute alcohol administration on circulating endocannabinoid levels by analysing data from two highly‐controlled alcohol administration experiments. In the first within‐subjects experiment, 47 healthy participants were randomized to receive alcohol and placebo in a counterbalanced order. Alcohol was administered using an intravenous clamping procedure such that each participant attained a nearly identical breath alcohol concentration of 0.05%, maintained over 3 h. In the second experiment, 23 healthy participants self‐administered alcohol intravenously; participants had control over their exposure throughout the paradigm. In both experiments, circulating concentrations of two endocannabinoids, N‐arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2‐arachidonoylglycerol (2‐AG), were measured at baseline and following alcohol exposure. During the intravenous clamping procedure, acute alcohol administration reduced circulating AEA but not 2‐AG levels when compared to placebo. This finding was confirmed in the self‐administration paradigm, where alcohol reduced AEA levels in an exposure‐dependent manner. Future studies should seek to determine whether alcohol administration has similar effects on brain endocannabinoid signalling. An improved understanding of the bidirectional relationship between endocannabinoid signalling and alcohol intake may deepen our understanding of the aetiology and repercussions of alcohol use disorder.

Keywords: acute alcohol; administration; administration circulating; circulating endocannabinoid; alcohol; alcohol administration

Journal Title: Addiction Biology
Year Published: 2022

Link to full text (if available)


Share on Social Media:                               Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!

Related content

More Information              News              Social Media              Video              Recommended



                Click one of the above tabs to view related content.