Pierucci-Lagha Amira, Covault Jonathan, Feinn Richard, Khisti Rahul T, Morrow A Leslie, Marx Christine E, Shampine Lawrence J, Kranzler Henry R
Department of Psychiatry, Alcohol Research Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Durham VA Medical Center, NC 27705, USA.
Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2006 Jun;186(3):451-61. doi: 10.1007/s00213-005-0231-0. Epub 2005 Dec 10.
GABAA receptors are an important site of action of endogenous neurosteroids and an important mediator of several behavioral effects of alcohol. This study examined the effects of alcohol on plasma steroid hormone concentrations on the hypothesis that the endocrine effects mediate some of the subjective effects of alcohol.
Thirty-two healthy subjects (17 men) with no history of a substance use disorder participated in this human laboratory study. All subjects consumed three standard drinks of grain alcohol. Subjective measures and blood samples for steroid concentrations were collected at baseline and 40 min after alcohol consumption.
Alcohol increased self-reported stimulation, alcohol liking, and desire for more alcohol. Alcohol also increased pregnenolone (PREG) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) concentrations, while it decreased progesterone (PROG) and allopregnanolone (ALLO) concentrations, as well as ALLO/PREG and PROG/PREG ratios. In men, the change in PREG concentration was significantly correlated with alcohol liking, while the alcohol-induced change in ALLO concentration correlated significantly with both alcohol liking and desire for more alcohol.
These findings provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that endogenous neurosteroids mediate some of the subjective effects of alcohol. Efforts to replicate these findings should aim to specify more clearly the nature and time course of the effects.
γ-氨基丁酸A型（GABAA）受体是内源性神经甾体的重要作用位点，也是酒精多种行为效应的重要介导因子。本研究基于内分泌效应介导酒精的一些主观效应这一假设，探讨了酒精对血浆甾体激素浓度的影响。
32名无物质使用障碍史的健康受试者（17名男性）参与了这项人体实验室研究。所有受试者均饮用了三杯标准量的谷物酒精。在基线期以及饮酒后40分钟采集主观测量数据和用于甾体浓度检测的血样。
酒精增加了自我报告的兴奋感、对酒精的喜好以及对更多酒精的渴望。酒精还提高了孕烯醇酮（PREG）和脱氢表雄酮（DHEA）的浓度，同时降低了孕酮（PROG）和别孕烷醇酮（ALLO）的浓度，以及ALLO/PREG和PROG/PREG比值。在男性中，PREG浓度的变化与对酒精的喜好显著相关，而酒精引起的ALLO浓度变化与对酒精的喜好以及对更多酒精的渴望均显著相关。
这些发现为内源性神经甾体介导酒精的一些主观效应这一假设提供了初步支持。重复这些发现的研究应致力于更明确地阐明这些效应的性质和时间进程。
