Role of the 5HT3 Receptor in Alcohol Drinking and Aggression Using a Transgenic Mouse Model
Abstract
Alcohol use has been identified as an important factor in aggressive, or violent, behavior in humans. Alcohol not only increases the incidence but also the severity of violent attacks. Several clinical studies have reported the observation that highly aggressive individuals display a serotonin-deficient trait. A number of studies indicate that the 5HT(sub 3) receptor system mediates alcohol consumption and the subjective effects of alcohol. The 5HT(sub 3) receptor is unique in the serotonin receptor family in that it is a cation channel and modulates the release of a number of other neurotransmitters, including GABA and dopamine. Thus, the 5-HT(sub 3) receptor is likely to play a critical role influencing alcohol consumption, which appears to involve dopamine and influencing both natural and alcohol-heightened aggression through the GABAA receptor system. We have developed a 5-HT(sub 3) receptor over-expressing mouse to study the role of this receptor in alcohol drinking and aggression. We hypothesize that 5HT(sub 3) receptor over-expression decreases alcohol preference and aggressive activity through a 5HT(sub 3) receptor sensitive mechanism increasing the release of GABA. We will evaluate the transgene on 3 different inbred strains (C57, DBA, 129) who differ in alcohol preference in a two-bottle choice design and aggression using intruder- aggression test. We will test the ability of 5HT(sub 3) receptor antagonists to block and GABA receptor agonist to mimic the phenotypic effects of over-expression. These mice should prove useful in testing hypothesis regarding the role 5-HT(sub 3) receptors play in alcohol abuse and alcohol-heightened aggression.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA421986
Entities
People
- Andrea M. Allan
Organizations
- University of New Mexico