At a time when we are warning against the growing phenomenon of binge-drinking (express drink) to which the proliferation of liver diseases is partly attributed, it would seem that the generational factor is not the only one that explains the behavior dangerous followers. Indeed, the party culture very present among the youngest is not the only responsible if we are to believe a study conducted by the University of Illinois at Chicago. Scientists at the Center for Research on Alcohol and Epigenetics establish a link between the habit of drinking excessively one evening after days or even weeks of sobriety and… genetics. We already know that wanting to drink more when we are already alcoholic is the result of the diffusion of dopamine, the pleasure hormone, in the region of the brain called the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The discovery, however, is that in some people, a channel in the ATV called KCNK13 can be blocked by alcohol, causing the neurons to become hyperactive and trigger them to release even more dopamine. . The researchers managed to show that KCNK13 was less active in some people, which means that they need to drink more to feel the same degree of pleasure as others and therefore can push them to "binge-drink". /P>
To arrive at these results, mice were the subject of several experiments. In one, the team reduced the KCNK13 channel in the ATV of some mice by 15%. These drank between 20 to 30% more alcohol than the normal mice. "We believe that mice lacking KCNK13 drank more alcohol to achieve the same degree of reward as other rodents," Prof Brodie said. The second experiment consisted in observing the reaction of neurons in the area of the ATV in normal mice and those with reduced KCNK13 once they had ingested alcohol. The neurons of the genetically modified mice were 50% less responsive than those of normal mice. The research goes further since it suggests that humans have the KCNK13 channel more or less present in the reward region of the brain, and that this is genetic. A proportion of the population would therefore be naturally inclined to drink more. These findings could be a major advantage in the fight against alcoholism and the development of treatments. Binge-drinking is defined as the consumption of more than 6 units of alcohol during the same session, i.e. 2 to 3 glasses of wine containing 13% alcohol or 2 or 3 pints of beer at 4%. For those who would like to reduce their consumption but are looking for motivation, seeing the beneficial results after stopping alcohol for a month is a good start...
