| Title |
Role of GABAB receptor in alcohol dependence: Reducing effect of baclofen on alcohol intake and alcohol motivational properties in rats and amelioration of alcohol withdrawal syndrome and alcohol craving in human alcoholics
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Neurotoxicity Research, January 2004
|
| DOI | 10.1007/bf03033315 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Giancarlo Colombo, Giovanni Addolorato, Roberta Agabio, Mauro A. M. Carai, Fabio Pibiri, Salvatore Serra, Giovanni Vacca, Gian Luigi Gessa |
| Abstract |
The present paper describes the results of recent preclinical and clinical studies conducted in this laboratory in order to characterize the anti-alcohol properties of the GABA(B) receptor agonist, baclofen. At a preclinical level, the repeated administration of non-sedative doses of baclofen dose-dependently suppressed the acquisition and maintenance of alcohol drinking behavior in selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats tested under the homecage, 2-bottle "alcohol vs water" choice regimen. Acute injection of baclofen completely blocked the temporary increase in voluntary alcohol intake occurring after a period of alcohol abstinence (the so-called alcohol deprivation effect, which models alcohol relapses in human alcoholics). Acute treatment with baclofen also dose-dependently suppressed extinction responding for alcohol (an index of motivation to consume alcohol) in sP rats trained to lever-press for oral alcohol self-administration. Taken together, these results suggest the involvement of the GABA(B) receptor in the neural substrate mediating alcohol intake and alcohol motivational properties in an animal model of excessive alcohol consumption. Further, acutely administered baclofen dose-dependently reduced the severity of alcohol withdrawal signs in Wistar rats made physically dependent upon alcohol. Preliminary clinical surveys suggest that the anti-alcohol properties of baclofen observed in rats may generalize to human alcoholics. Indeed, a double-blind survey demonstrated that repeated daily treatment with baclofen was associated, when compared to placebo, with a higher percentage of subjects totally abstinent from alcohol and a higher number of days of total abstinence. Treatment with baclofen also suppressed the number of daily drinks and decreased the obsessive and compulsive components of alcohol craving. Finally, a single non-sedative dose of baclofen resulted in the rapid disappearance of alcohol withdrawal symptomatology, including delirium tremens, in alcohol-dependent patients. In both clinical studies, baclofen was well tolerated with minimal side effects. These results suggest that baclofen may represent a potentially effective medication in the treatment of alcohol-dependent patients. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 2 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| France | 1 | 50% |
| Unknown | 1 | 50% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 2 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 77 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 2 | 3% |
| Argentina | 2 | 3% |
| Unknown | 73 | 95% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Researcher | 14 | 18% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 13 | 17% |
| Student > Bachelor | 10 | 13% |
| Student > Doctoral Student | 8 | 10% |
| Student > Master | 8 | 10% |
| Other | 10 | 13% |
| Unknown | 14 | 18% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Dentistry | 20 | 26% |
| Psychology | 12 | 16% |
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 10 | 13% |
| Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 6 | 8% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 5 | 6% |
| Other | 9 | 12% |
| Unknown | 15 | 19% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 8. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 16 June 2020.
All research outputs
#4,123,130
of 22,881,154 outputs
Outputs from Neurotoxicity Research
#179
of 883 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#13,464
of 133,379 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Neurotoxicity Research
#2
of 16 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 22,881,154 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done well and is in the 81st percentile: it's in the top 25% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 883 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 5.3. This one has done well, scoring higher than 79% of its peers.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 16 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 87% of its contemporaries.