Quitting or cutting down on alcohol consumption is a complex process. Recently, a team of scientists discovered, after tests carried out on monkeys, that a hormone, called “FGF21”, could reduce the desire to consume these drinks.
- In France, 10% of people drink alcohol daily. Alcohol consumption is more common among men: 15.2% of them drink it every day, compared to 5.1% of women.
- A hormone, called “FGF21”, would act on a subgroup of neurons, present in the basolateral amygdala, to reduce alcohol addiction.
- A hormone, called “FGF21”, would act on a subset of neurons, present in the basolateral amygdala, to treat alcohol addiction.
“Excessive alcohol consumption is a major health and social problem in our society.” So wrote an international group of researchers in a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism February 1. As part of their work, the scientists tried to determine whether a hormone, called “FGF21” or fibroblast growth factor 21, was effective in fighting against alcohol addiction. According to CNRSFGF21 is a hormone produced by the liver, which intervenes by exerting various metabolic effects among which the control of craving for sugar and alcohol.
Encouraging results in mice
The team decided to analyze the effects of this substance secreted by the endocrine gland on the consumption of alcoholic beverages, because it would have been proven in mice. “Pharmacological administration of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) suppresses alcohol consumption through actions in the rodent brain. Studies have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes involved in the signaling of FGF21 as being associated with increased alcohol consumption. However, the neural circuits through which FGF21 signals the suppression of alcohol consumption are unknown, as are its effects on alcohol consumption in humans.” can we read in the searches.
Tests on alcohol-dependent monkeys
This time, the authors administered a molecule similar to FGF21 to alcohol-dependent non-human primates. According to the work, the hormone would have reduced alcohol consumption by 50%. The researchers found that this substance decreased alcohol consumption through a subset of neurons present in the basolateral amygdala, an internal region of the brain. “Our results demonstrate the therapeutic potential of FGF21 in alcohol-dependent non-human primates,” concluded the group of scientists.
.