Adrenomedullin (AM), belongs to the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) family and interacts with AM and CGRP1 receptors. Specific AM receptors and immunoreactivity are present in the rat brain. The effect of intracisternal injection of rat AM on ethanol-induced gastric lesions was studied in conscious Wistar rats. The peptide was injected intracisternally or intravenously under short anesth...

The reconsolidation hypothesis posits that established emotional memories, when reactivated, become labile and susceptible to disruption. Post-retrieval injection of propranolol (PRO), a nonspecific β-adrenergic receptor antagonist, impairs subsequent retention performance of a cocaine- and a morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP), implicating the noradrenergic system in the recons...

BACKGROUND It has been postulated that ethanol affects hepatic sinusoidal and perisinusoidal cells. In the current experimental study, we investigated the early effect of a single intravenous dose of ethanol on the diameter of liver sinusoidal endothelial fenestrae in New Zealand White rabbits. The diameter of fenestrae in these rabbits is similar to the diameter found in humans with healthy li...

BACKGROUND Chronic alcohol (ethanol) consumption during pregnancy results in maternal/fetal hypocalcemia, which may underlie some of ethanol's adverse effects on maternal and fetal bone, and fetal/neonatal health. Ethanol appears to alter the relationship between parathyroid hormone (PTH) and blood calcium (Ca) level, and PTH does not increase in response to ethanol-induced hypocalcemia. Howeve...

BACKGROUND Repeated alcohol exposure is known to increase subsequent ethanol consumption in mice. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. One postulated mechanism involves epigenetic modifications, including histone modifications and DNA methylation of relevant genes such as NR2B or BDNF. METHODS To investigate the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the development of...