Betaine has previously been demonstrated to protect the liver against alcohol‑induced fat accumulation. However, the mechanism through which betaine affects alcohol‑induced hepatic lipid metabolic disorders has not been extensively studied. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of betaine on alcoholic simple fatty liver and hepatic lipid metabolism disorders. A total of 36 rats were...

The stomach-derived hormone ghrelin interacts with key CNS circuits regulating energy balance and body weight. Here we provide evidence that the central ghrelin signaling system is required for alcohol reward. Central ghrelin administration (to brain ventricles or to tegmental areas involved in reward) increased alcohol intake in a 2-bottle (alcohol/water) free choice limited access paradigm in...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study was to examine the quantitative risk of criminal behavior associated with specific mental disorders. METHOD An unselected 1966 birth cohort (N = 12,058) in Northern Finland was prospectively studied until the end of 1992. The investigation started during the mothers' pregnancy, and the data on the subjects' family characteristics, mental and physical develop...

AIMS Preclinical and clinical data suggest an involvement of atrial natriuretic peptides (ANP) in alcohol-associated psychopathology. We now present first data on alcohol drinking behaviour in mice lacking a functional natriuretic peptide-A (NPR-A) receptor. METHODS NPR-A(-/-) and wild-type mice were given a free choice between water and increasing concentrations of alcohol (2-16%). A forced ...

CONTEXT Epidemiologic information is important to inform etiological research and service delivery planning. However, current information on the epidemiology of alcohol use disorders in the United States is lacking. OBJECTIVES To present nationally representative findings on the prevalence, correlates, psychiatric comorbidity, and treatment of DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence. DESIGN, SE...

The paper is a review of the literature on the comorbidity of alcohol dependence with other psychiatric disorders. A condition when alcohol dependence is accompanied by another mental disorder is much more common than it is commonly believed. It is estimated that more than one third of people diagnosed with mental disorders, abuses or is dependent on psychoactive substances, especially alcohol;...

BACKGROUND We examined the association between parental alcohol use disorders and patterns of alcohol consumption and DSM-IV alcohol use disorders in their offspring in a community-based sample of young adults. METHODS Data are based on baseline and 4-year follow-up data of 2427 respondents aged 14-24 at baseline. Alcohol use and disorders in respondents were assessed using the Munich-Composi...

AIMS To examine whether the changes in coding practice could reduce alcohol poisoning mortality rates in Estonia. METHODS Individual death records in 1983-2009 (age at death 25-64) were used to calculate the 3-year moving averages of age-standardized mortality rates. From 2000 onwards, there was a sharp increase in mortality from mental disorders due to alcohol, and at the same time a remarka...

Drinking during pregnancy can result in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), an umbrella term that encompasses a wide array of symptoms ranging from neurocognitive deficits to physical malformations. The mechanism for FASD is not yet fully understood however recently, activation of the neuroimmune system has been suggested to play a role. Neuroinflammation, characterized by increased pro-in...

Most children with in utero alcohol exposure do not exhibit all features of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), and a challenge for clinicians is to make an early diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) to avoid lost opportunities for care. In brain, correct neurodevelopment requires proper angiogenesis. Since alcohol alters brain angiogenesis and the placenta is a major source of angiog...