Abstract
Alcohol consumption in humans is characterized by a wide range of behavioral effects and pathological consequences that suggest several neuroanatomical targets for this drug. To identify these targets we have mapped alcohol-induced changes in the expression of the c-Fos protein in the rat brain. Administration of a moderate dose of alcohol (1.5 g kg−1) led to a suppression of basal and novel environment-induced c-Fos expression in the hippocampus and simultaneous induction of this protein in regions important for the reinforcing as well as aversive properties of drugs. These include the extended amygdala (including the central nucleus of amygdala, bed nucleus of stria terminalis and nucleus accumbens), regions processing sensory information (including the Edinger–Westphal nucleus and the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus) and in stress-related areas (including the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, nucleus of the solitary tract and several neocortical areas). Repeated administration of the same dose of alcohol did not decrease alcohol-mediated suppression of c-Fos in the hippocampus, but decreased alcohol-induced expression of c-Fos in other areas. A lower dose of acute alcohol (0.5 g kg−1) reduced basal c-Fos expression in several areas of the neocortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus. However, while this low dose of alcohol was unable to counteract the environmental novelty-induced c-Fos expression in these areas, it increased c-Fos expression in the central nucleus of amygdala (an effect similar to the one observed previously for diazepam). Our data suggest that the effects of low doses of alcohol may be due to selective GABA-like effects of ethanol, whereas higher doses of ethanol involve effects on multiple neurotransmitter systems.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ryabinin, A., Criado, J., Henriksen, S. et al. Differential sensitivity of c-Fos expression in hippocampus and other brain regions to moderate and low doses of alcohol. Mol Psychiatry 2, 32–43 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4000206
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4000206
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
The synthetically produced predator odor 2,5-dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline increases alcohol self-administration and alters basolateral amygdala response to alcohol in rats
Psychopharmacology (2021)
-
Serotonin receptor 2c-expressing cells in the ventral CA1 control attention via innervation of the Edinger–Westphal nucleus
Nature Neuroscience (2018)
-
Amygdalar neuronal plasticity and the interactions of alcohol, sex, and stress
Brain Structure and Function (2015)
-
Chronic alcohol consumption from adolescence-to-adulthood in mice - hypothalamic gene expression changes in the dilated cardiomyopathy signaling pathway
BMC Neuroscience (2014)
-
Effects of acute and chronic inhalation of paint thinner in mice: behavioral and immunohistochemical study
Metabolic Brain Disease (2014)