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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) suppresses yohimbine-induced reinstatement of alcohol seeking


Reinstatement of responding to a previously alcohol-associated lever following extinction is an established model of relapse-like behavior and can be triggered by stress exposure. Here, we examined whether neuropeptide Y (NPY), an endogenous anti-stress mediator, blocks reinstatement of alcohol-seeking induced by the pharmacological stressor yohimbine.
The analysis was focused on a network of structures previously implicated in yohimbine-induced reinstatement, comprised of central (CeA) and basolateral (BLA) amygdala and the shell of the nucleus accumbens (Nc AccS). Within this network, both yohimbine and NPY potently induced neuronal activation, and their effects were additive, presumably indicating activation of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations, respectively.

These results suggest that NPY selectively suppresses relapse to alcohol seeking induced by stressful events and support the NPY system as an attractive target for the treatment of alcohol addiction.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: markus.heilig@mail.nih.gov
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