Elevation of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Function in the Lateral Habenula Mediates Aversive Behaviors in Alcohol-withdrawn Rats

摘要

Background: Recent rat studies indicate that alcohol withdrawal can trigger a negative emotional state including anxiety-and depression-like behaviors and hyperalgesia, as well as elevated glutamatergic transmission and activity in lateral habenula neurons. TRPV1, a vanilloid receptor expressed in the habenula, is involved in pain, alcohol dependence, and glutamatergic transmission. The authors therefore hypothesized that TRPV1 contributes to the changes in both the behavioral phenotypes and the habenula activity in alcohol-withdrawn rats.