bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nutritional Status and Body Fluid Distribution in Chronic Alcoholics Compared With Controls
Authors: Addolorato Giovanni , Capristo Esmeralda , Caputo Fabio , Greco Aldo V. , Ceccanti Mauro , Stefanini G. Francesco , Gasbarrini Giovanni 
Published: May 2006

Background:At present few data are available on the total body water (TBW) content and in particular on the distribution of water in the intra‐ and extracellular compartments (ICW and ECW) of alcoholics. The aim of this study was to evaluate TBW, ICW, and ECW in chronic alcoholic patients. Methods:Thirty‐six alcoholics meeting DSM‐III‐R criteria for diagnosis (20 men, 16 women; body mass index [BMI] 22.3 ± 2.57 kg/m2) were enrolled. Fifty‐four healthy social drinkers (31 men, 23 women; BMI 23.7 ± 1.68 kg/m2) matched for age and height were used as controls. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was measured for all cases. All patients were assessed using specific anthropometric measurements. The waist‐to‐hip ratio (WHR) was used as an indicator of body fat distribution. TBW was measured by isotopic dilution by giving 100 μCi of tritiated water. ICW and ECW were assessed by multifrequence bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA). Basal metabolic rate (BMR) was measured by indirect calorimetry. Results:Body weight was lower in the alcoholics than in the controls (61.9 ± 5.5 kg vs. 65.8 ± 5.2 kg;p < 0.01), essentially due to a reduction in fat mass. Significantly higher WHR values were found in both male (p < 0.001) and female (p<0.001) alcoholics than in healthy subjects. A higher ECW/TBW ratio was found in the alcoholics compared with the controls, both as a whole (0.53 ± 0.04 vs. 0.41 ± 0.03;p < 0.0001) and separated by gender (p < 0.001). Conclusions:The increased ECW could derive from an increase in cellular permeability related to endothelial damage linked to the vasoconstriction present in the alcoholics and/or to a direct toxic effect of ethanol on cellular membranes. In addition, because the high ECW volumes correlated positively with WHR in the alcoholics, a potential association of these two factors in determining an increased risk of liver disease, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease may exist. Finally, the lower TBW characteristic of women may be one of the reasons for the observed greater rate of toxic effects of ethanol that occur in women.
Identification and Confirmation of Quantitative Trait Loci Regulating Alcohol Consumption in Congenic Strains of Mice
Authors: Whatley Valerie J. , Johnson Thomas E. , Erwin V. Gene 
Published: May 2006

Background:C57BL/6 inbred mice prefer alcohol whereas DBA/2 mice avoid it. We describe the construction of congenic strains of mice in which DBA/2 alleles for alcohol avoidance were placed on a C57BL/6 background using phenotypic selection. Methods:Mice were primed to drink 10% v/v ethanol in water for 2 days before a two‐bottle choice paradigm. N2 males who demonstrated an alcohol‐avoidance phenotype were backcrossed to B6 females to construct 15 independent lines. Results:Eight of these lines were lost due to failure to breed or absence of males with an alcohol‐avoidance phenotype. The remaining sublines were split to form a total of 21 sublines. In the N7 and N9 generations, a genome scan located provisional quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on chromosomes 1,2,3,6, and 9. Progeny testing confirmed QTLs on chromosomes 1 and 2. Conclusions:The QTL on chromosome 2 overlaps the 95% confidence interval ofAlcpl whereas that on chromosome 1 is new and has been called Alcp5. Marker‐assisted selection was used in the N9 and subsequent generations to maintain the congenic lines and produce congenic strains.
Differences in the Opioid System in Selected Brain Regions of Alcohol‐Preferring and Alcohol‐Nonpreferring Rats
Authors: Fadda P. , Tronci S. , Colombo G. , Fratta W. 
Published: May 2006

Background: Previous studies have suggested that alcohol‐reinforcing effects are mediated by the endogenous opioid system, which, in turn, stimulates mesolimbic dopaminergic neurotransmission. In addition, evidence obtained in both humans and rats indicates that genetic factors may influence alcohol‐drinking behavior. In the present study, we examined several components of the opioid system in selected brain regions of rats bred selectively for their innate alcohol preference (Sardinian preferring = sP) or alcohol aversion (Sardinian nonpreferring = sNP). Methods: To evaluate whether differences observed were consequent to alcohol intake, sP rats were divided into two subgroups, ethanol‐naive sP (sP) and ethanol‐experienced sP (sPexp). Opioid receptors were labeled, using [3H]naloxone (μ, δ, and K receptors), [D‐Ala2,N‐Me‐Phe4,Gly,ol5]enkephalin ([3H]DAMGO; μ receptors), and [D‐Ala2,D‐Leu5]enkephalin ([3H]DADLE; δ receptors), by means of quantitative autoradiography. Enkephalin and dynorphin mRNA contents were measured by in situ hybridization by using 25‐ and 47‐base oligonucleotide probes with sequences complementary to mRNA encoding rat enkephalin or dynorphin. Results: Our results revealed a significant reduction of opioid receptors in caudate‐putamen nucleus and in the shell portion of the nucleus accumbens in sP compared with sNP rats. Alcohol intake partially reversed this reduction in the caudate‐putamen nucleus. In addition, enkephalin mRNA expression was found to be decreased in the ventral part of caudate‐putamen nucleus and increased in the cerebral cortex of sP rats compared with sNP rats; no significant differences were found in dynorphin mRNA expression in any of the brain areas examined. Conclusions and Significance: Differences observed between the two lines of rats may implicate that genetic modifications in the opioid system are possibly responsible for the innate preference of sP rats toward alcohol intake. At the same time, it cannot be excluded that other functions might also be affected to some degree.
Association of Low‐Voltage Alpha EEG With a Subtype of Alcohol Use Disorders
Authors: Enoch Mary‐Anne , White Kenneth V. , Harris Claudia R. , Robin Robert W. , Ross Jerilyn , Rohrbaugh John W. , Goldman David 
Published: May 2006

Background: Neurophysiological traits may identify more homogeneous subgroups of alcoholics. Such discoveries could yield information regarding pathophysiological development, leading to more specific preventive measures and treatments. In an earlier study of 127 individuals, 59 of whom were unrelated, we found that a heritable resting Electroencephalographic (EEG) phenotype, i.e., the low‐voltage alpha (LVA) trait, was associated with alcohol use disorders and anxiety disorders. Methods: We evaluated these findings using an independent, similarly established, dataset of 120 subjects. Wc also extended the study to a larger set of 149 unrelated individuals from a total sample of 247 subjects for whom psychiatric diagnoses and resting EEG phenotypes were available. Blind‐rated psychiatric diagnoses were formulated according to DSM‐III‐R criteria. Results: In the replication sample, the LVA trait was again more common among subjects with anxiety disorders than among those without. In the total group of unrelated individuals, alcoholics were significantly (3 times) more likely to show the LVA trait than were nonalcoholics. Again, individuals with anxiety disorders were significantly (3 times) more likely to exhibit the LVA trait than were those without anxiety disorders. Of 11 unrelated alcoholics with anxiety disorders, seven showed the LVA trait. It was specifically the LVA trait and not low‐amplitude alpha activity that was associated with alcohol use disorders. Conclusions: The results of this replication study and the analysis of the total sample of unrelated individuals support an association between LVA EEG and the subtype of alcohol use disorders associated with anxiety disorders. The LVA phenotype may be a vulnerability factor for alcohol use disorders and anxiety disorders.
Blood Ethanol Concentrations in Rats Drinking Sucrose/Ethanol Solutions
Authors: Czachowski Cristine L. , Samson Herman H. , Denning Charles E. 
Published: May 2006

Background: The addition of sucrose to ethanol solutions results in a substantial increase in ethanol self‐administration by rats that are deprived of neither food nor water. However, if sucrose alters ethanol absorption or metabolism, resulting in blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) not different from those resulting from lower intakes of ethanol/water solutions, then the usefulness of sucrose/ethanol mixtures in increasing ethanol consumption is questionable. The present study was conducted to determine whether the addition of sucrose to ethanol solutions altered BECs in an operant self‐administration paradigm. Methods: Tail blood (from male Long‐Evans rats) was collected 30 min after the intake of four different solutions, i.e., 5% sucrose/20% ethanol, 5% sucrose/10% ethanol, 2% sucrose/10% ethanol, and 10% ethanol. Results: Ethanol intakes (mean, 1.57 ± 0.21 g/kg) and BECs (mean, 78.4 ± 9.3 mg/100 ml) were highest when 5% sucrose was added to the ethanol solution. Moreover, the ratios between ethanol intakes and resulting BECs were approximately the same for all solutions. Conclusions: These findings indicate that, under the conditions of this procedure, the BEC reached is dependent on the amount of ethanol consumed and is not influenced by the addition of sucrose to the solution.
Oral Ethanol Self‐Administration in Rhesus Monkeys: Behavioral and Neurochemical Correlates
Authors: Vivian J. A. , Higley J. D. , Linnoila M. , Woods J. H. 
Published: May 2006

Background: Previous research has revealed that orally administered ethanol serves as a reinforcer in nonhuman primates. The purposes of the present study were to examine the relationship between ethanol preferences and intakes in two distinct self‐administration contexts and to reveal some of the behavioral and neurochemical correlates of oral ethanol self‐administration in monkeys. Methods: Three cohorts of 13 to 29 rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatto) were socially housed and given daily, 1‐hr, one‐spout access to an ethanol solution (8.4%, w/v) sweetened with aspartame. Twelve of these monkeys were subsequently selected, individually housed, and given daily, 2‐hr, two‐spout access to a range of ethanol concentrations (0.25‐16%, w/v) concurrently with water. Results: These monkeys (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism group) showed a marked preference for ethanol (0.5‐4%, w/v) over water, and ethanol preferences were 3‐fold greater than those of a second group of 12 monkeys (University of Michigan group) purchased from a commercial vendor. Ethanol consumption was consistent across the self‐administration paradigms. Monkeys that consumed large quantities of ethanol under the one‐spout, social‐housing conditions continued to drink large quantities of ethanol under the two‐spout, individual‐housing conditions (r= 0.86). An association between ethanol preferences and intakes was also demonstrated. Monkeys with the greatest preferences for ethanol over water under the two‐spout choice conditions consumed the largest quantities of ethanol (r= 0.82). Finally, cerebrospinal fluid 5‐hydroxyindoleacetic acid concentrations were inversely related to ethanol preference but not to ethanol intake. Conclusions: These results indicate that ethanol consumption is stable across contexts and is positively correlated with the preference for ethanol over water.
Individual Differences in Auditory and Visual Attention Among Fetal Alcohol‐Affected Adults
Authors: Connor Paul D. , Streissguth Ann P. , Sampson Paul D. , Bookstein Fred L. , Barr Helen M. 
Published: May 2006

Background:Deficits in attention are commonly identified among patients who have been prenatally exposed to alcohol, and they often affect the ability of the patients to function appropriately in society. Methods:Eleven adult patients with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or fetal alcohol effects (FAE) were compared with nine adult subjects with no history of prenatal alcohol exposure, using four tests of visually and auditorially mediated attention. Results:In relation to the comparison group, patients with FAS/FAE exhibited substantial deficits in both auditory and visual attention; the auditory deficits were greater. We observed two predominant patterns of deficits among patients with FAS/FAE, one involving both auditory and visual attention problems and the other involving less severe auditory problems and even fewer visual problems. Most subjects with FAS or FAE had some manifestations of attention problems in at least one of the tests of attention used in this study. We present a new graphical representation of individual auditory Continuous Performance Test data across a 6‐min period, which, compared with conventional scores, more clearly reveals the markedly disrupted and variable attention patterns displayed by some individuals with FAS or FAE. Conclusions:These findings suggest that detailed analysis of the pattern of individual performance for each subject is an important aspect of Continuous Performance Test assessment. Our findings further suggest that intellectual performance (intelligence quotient score) alone is not sufficient to account for the patterns of disrupted attention for individuals with FAS/FAE. Assessment of individuals with FAS or FAE should include measurement of attentional functioning in both the visual and auditory modalities.
Premorbid Risk Factors for Alcohol Dependence in Antisocial Personality Disorder
Authors: Yoshino Aihide , Fukuhara Taihei , Kato Motoichiro 
Published: May 2006

Background:Many, but not all, types of antisocial personality disorders (ASP) are complicated by alcohol dependence. Therefore, some additional risk factors may exist for alcohol dependence co‐occurring with ASP. We studied whether severe childhood conduct disorder and a family history of alcohol dependence are possible risk factors for the development of alcohol dependence in ASP.Methods:The subjects were 81 male Japanese criminals diagnosed with DSM‐III‐R ASP. Relative risks of alcohol dependence for severe conduct disorder and for a positive family history were estimated by using a multiple logistic model.Results:Forty‐three subjects (53.0%) met criteria for DSM‐111‐R alcohol dependence. The relative risk of alcohol dependence for severe conduct disorder (n= 44), compared with mild conduct disorder, was 4.1; whereas the relative risk for a positive family history (n= 31), relative to a negative family history, was 1.9. Severe childhood conduct disorder was also associated with severe adulthood antisocial behavior and an earlier onset of alcohol dependence.Conclusions:The results suggest that severe childhood conduct disorder and a positive family history of alcohol dependence are independent premorbid risk factors for developing alcohol dependence among persons with ASP.
Genetic and Developmental Modulation of Cardiac Deficits in Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
Authors: Cavieres Maria Fernanda , Smith Susan M. 
Published: May 2006

Background:Increasing evidence demonstrates that genetic background is an important modulator of alcohol's effects on the developing fetus. Such effects are separable from maternal ethanol metabolism. Here, we study ethanol's effects on cardiogenesis in an avian model that shows strong cell death within neuronal and neural crest precursors following ethanol exposure.Methods:The study design tested the hypothesis that ethanol‐induced losses of cardiac neural crest populations would disrupt outflow tract development and thus contribute to the valvuloseptal deficits observed in prenatal alcohol exposure. Three chick strains were exposed to alcohol at gestational windows between gastrulation and early heart septation (day 3 incubation), and then hearts were examined at the completion of morphogenesis (day 10 incubation).Results:Ethanol's impact on cardiac development was influenced by fetal genetics. The B300 X Hampshire Red cross exhibited pronounced cell death within cardiac neural crest populations but had normal development of the heart and aortic arches. Neural crest migration and differentiation into the distal outflow tract were also normal in these embryos, which suggested a capacity to repair earlier losses. The DeKalb White X Hampshire Red cross also did not exhibit cardiac defects. Hearts of the B300 strain had a unique phenotype with respect to ethanol exposure and exhibited a thin ventricular compact layer, dilatation, and reduced myosin/deoxyribonucleic acid and myosin/protein content, a phenotype that indicates disrupted myocardial maturation and inductive cues. The deficit was only observed when ethanol exposure occurred at stages 15 or 18 and apparently was independent of neural crest cell death. Such ventricular thinning might go undetected in the absence of extensive screening.Conclusions:Results add to the increasing evidence that genetic background strongly modulates the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. The results also suggest that embryos have a varying capacity to repair and recover from earlier neural crest losses.
Differences in the Fatty Acid Composition of Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters in Organs and Their Secretions
Authors: Laposata Michael , Kabakibi Ayman , Walden Michael P. , Cluette‐Brown Joanne E. , Nanji Azra A. , Refaai Majed A. , Werner Jens , Nanji Amin A. 
Published: May 2006

Background:Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) are nonoxidative ethanol metabolites that have been shown to be long term markers of ethanol intake and have been implicated as mediators of ethanol‐induced cell injury. Previous studies have indicated that the fatty acid composition of the FAEE found in the plasma of human subjects after ethanol ingestion is predominantly ethyl palmitate and ethyl oleate. This raised the possibility that there is some selectivity toward the fatty acid used for FAEE to be exported from the liver into the blood.Methods:To address the hypothesis that the fatty acid composition of FAEE secreted from organs, such as the liver and pancreas, differs from the fatty acid composition of FAEE in the organs, this study was performed using rats that received ethanol by intra‐arterial infusion.Results:It was found that the fatty acids in FAEE differed significantly in plasma versus liver, bile versus liver, and pancreatic secretions versus pancreas.Conclusions:These results indicate that organs selectively export certain FAEE species.
The Neuropsychological Consequences of Abstinence Among Older Alcoholics: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Munro Cynthia A. , Saxton Judith , Butters Meryl A. 
Published: May 2006

Background:The older alcoholic has been distinguished from the younger alcoholic with regard to both the acute effects of alcohol and also the recovery of functioning with abstinence. Few studies, however, have included samples of exclusively older subjects. In this investigation we examined the recovery of functioning in an older cohort of recovering alcoholics (age range 55–83) to determine which neuropsychological functions improve and which remain impaired with abstinence.Methods:We used a cross‐sectional design, comparing three demographically matched groups on a battery of neuropsychological tests: (a) older alcoholics who had been abstinent for greater than 6 months, (b) older alcoholics who had been abstinent for less than 6 months, and (c) a control group of older subjects without alcohol abuse histories.Results:In almost all tasks, the alcoholics who were abstinent for less than 6 months performed worse than the control group. In contrast, the alcoholics who had been abstinent for more than 6 months differed from the control group on learning and recall of a word list, immediate and delayed recall of a complex figure, initial letter fluency, and clock drawing.Conclusions:Memory and executive skills appear to be resistant to recovery or at least slower to recover with abstinence in the older alcoholic. The impairment with visuospatial skills reported in prior investigations of alcoholics may be related to compromised executive functions, which interfere with the encoding of more complex visuospatial information and thus affect recall of such information. Studies that involve larger samples of older alcoholics are needed to understand their ability to recover cognitive functioning with abstinence.
Apoptosis and Dysregulated Ceramide Metabolism in a Murine Model of Alcohol‐Enhanced Lipopolysaccharide Hepatotoxicity
Authors: Deaciuc Ion V. , Nikolova‐Karakashian Mariana , Fortunato Franco , Lee E. Y. , Hill Daniell B. , McClain Craig J. 
Published: May 2006

Background:The role of apoptosis in EtOH‐induced liver injury has not been investigated much. Therefore, the question whether apoptosis is a contributory factor to alcoholic liver disease remains to be answered. The purpose of this study was to characterize the liver apoptotic response in a murine model of alcohol‐enhanced lipopolysaccharide (LPS) hepatotoxicity.Methods:Mice were fed an alcohol‐containing liquid diet for 49 days followed by an acute LPS challenge. The liver state was judged on the basis of histological appearance, plasma liver enzyme activity (alanine:2‐oxoglutarate and aspartate:2‐oxoglutarate aminotransferases, as markers of hepatocytolysis), and plasma hyaluronan levels (as a marker of the sinusoidal endothelial cell scavenging function). The liver apoptotic response was assessed by DNA fragmentation (TUNEL procedure), and caspases‐3 and ‐8 activity. To determine if ceramide played a role in the liver apoptotic response, the activity of acidic sphingomyelinase and tissue content of ceramide were also quantified.Results:Alcohol exposure induced fat accumulation and sensitized the liver to LPS injurious effects. Plasma liver enzyme activity was elevated by alcohol and this effect was potentiated by LPS. Liver apoptosis was augmented by both alcohol and LPS treatment as reflected by high frequency of positive TUNEL staining nuclei and by an increased activity of caspase‐3 and ‐8. Acidic sphingomyelinase activity was also increased and it was associated with an elevated tissue content of ceramide. In addition, LPS also increased plasma TNF‐α levels. These changes were accompanied by elevated plasma hyaluronan, reflecting an impaired sinusoidal endothelial cell scavenging function.Conclusions:These results provide a more complete description of the liver apoptotic response to both alcohol and LPS and may constitute the basis for further mechanistic studies on a possible role apoptosis may play in alcoholic liver injury.
Carbohydrate‐Deficient Transferrin in Relation to the Menopausal Status of Women
Authors: Leusink Geraline L. , Smeets‐Goevaers Cecile G. , Breed Simone A. , Keyzer Jules J. , van Pelt Johannes 
Published: May 2006

Background:Carbohydrate‐deficient transferrin (CDT) has been reported as an excellent marker for male alcohol abuse. Little is known about its validity among women, in whom rather conflicting data concerning the efficiency of the CDT marker and its biochemical mechanism have been reported. Moreover, it is not clear why the reference ranges are different for women (0 to 26 Units per liter) and men (0 to 20 Units per liter).Methods:In this population‐based study, we examined the normal CDT values measured by CDTect® in 331 healthy female teetotalers, randomly selected from a large cohort. They were divided into four groups: premenopausal women (n= 76), perimenopausal women (n= 86), postmenopausal women (n= 84), and users of estrogens/progestagens (n= 85).Results:The mean of the CDT value in the premenopausal group (15.2 Units per liter) was significantly higher than the mean in the postmenopausal group (13.6 Units per liter; p < 0.016). In pre‐ and perimenopausal women, higher CDT levels were associated with the last period of menstruation; for women menstruating less than 1 month ago versus longer ago, the mean serum CDT value was 15.4 vs. 13.0 Units per liter (p < 0.01).Conclusions:The premenopausal state seems to increase serum levels of CDT, probably due to the amount and frequency of blood loss during the menstrual period, and should be considered when interpreting CDT values in women.