Disentangling the Role of Astrocytes in Alcohol Use Disorder |
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| Authors: | Louise Adermark M. Scott Bowers |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Addiction Biology Unit , Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden;2. Department of Psychiatry , Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia;3. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia;4. Faulk Center for Molecular Therapeutics , Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois;5. Aptinyx , Evanston, Illinois |
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| Abstract: | Several laboratories recently identified that astrocytes are critical regulators of addiction machinery. It is now known that astrocyte pathology is a common feature of ethanol (EtOH) exposure in both humans and animal models, as even brief EtOH exposure is sufficient to elicit long‐lasting perturbations in astrocyte gene expression, activity, and proliferation. Astrocytes were also recently shown to modulate the motivational properties of EtOH and other strongly reinforcing stimuli. Given the role of astrocytes in regulating glutamate homeostasis, a crucial component of alcohol use disorder (AUD), astrocytes might be an important target for the development of next‐generation alcoholism treatments. This review will outline some of the more prominent features displayed by astrocytes, how these properties are influenced by acute and long‐term EtOH exposure, and future directions that may help to disentangle astrocytic from neuronal functions in the etiology of AUD. |
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| Keywords: | Astrocyte Gliotransmission Glutamate Alcohol Use Disorder |
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