Dai Xing, Thavundayil Joseph, Santella Sandra, Gianoulakis Christina
Douglas Hospital Research Centre and Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Que., Canada.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2007 Apr;32(3):293-305. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2007.01.004. Epub 2007 Mar 8.
Dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis has been observed in chronic alcoholics and in non-alcoholic sons of alcoholic parents, while genetic and environmental factors, such as stress, may play a significant role in the development of alcoholism. The present study was designed to investigate the response of the HPA-axis to alcohol and stress as a function of family history of alcoholism and chronic alcohol abuse. We determined changes in plasma adrenal corticotrophin (ACTH) and cortisol concentrations in response to a placebo or an alcohol (0.50g ethanol/kg body wt) drink and to a stress task performed 30 min following ingestion of either the placebo or the alcohol drink in social and heavy drinkers with [high risk (HR)] and without [low risk (LR)] a family history of alcoholism. Thus, four groups of healthy male individuals, low risk with no alcohol-dependence diagnosis (LRNAD), high risk with no alcohol-dependence diagnosis (HRNAD), low-risk alcohol dependent (LRAD) and high-risk alcohol dependent (HRAD), participated in the four experimental sessions given in random order. Basal plasma ACTH levels of LRNAD participants were higher from those of the other three groups of participants. Basal plasma cortisol levels of HRAD participants were higher from those of LRNAD and HRNAD but not of LRAD participants. The stress-induced increases of plasma ACTH and cortisol concentrations were more pronounced in LRNAD participants. The alcohol drink prevented the stress-induced increases in plasma ACTH and cortisol of all groups of participants. The self-ratings of anxiety were attenuated in LRNAD and LRAD participants in the alcohol only session and in HRNAD and HRAD participants in the alcohol plus stress session. In conclusion, there are differences in the activity of the HPA-axis as a function of family history and alcohol dependence, while the effect of an alcohol drink on the self-rating of anxiety may be influenced by both family history and stress.
在慢性酗酒者以及有酗酒父母的非酗酒子女中，已观察到下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴功能失调，而遗传和环境因素，如压力，可能在酗酒的发展中起重要作用。本研究旨在调查HPA轴对酒精和压力的反应，作为酗酒家族史和慢性酒精滥用的函数。我们测定了社交饮酒者和重度饮酒者在饮用安慰剂或酒精（0.50克乙醇/千克体重）饮料后，以及在饮用安慰剂或酒精饮料30分钟后进行应激任务时，血浆促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）和皮质醇浓度的变化，这些参与者有[高风险（HR）]或没有[低风险（LR）]酗酒家族史。因此，四组健康男性个体，即无酒精依赖诊断的低风险组（LRNAD）、无酒精依赖诊断的高风险组（HRNAD）、低风险酒精依赖组（LRAD）和高风险酒精依赖组（HRAD），以随机顺序参加了四个实验环节。LRNAD参与者的基础血浆ACTH水平高于其他三组参与者。HRAD参与者的基础血浆皮质醇水平高于LRNAD和HRNAD参与者，但不高于LRAD参与者。应激诱导的血浆ACTH和皮质醇浓度升高在LRNAD参与者中更为明显。酒精饮料可阻止所有组参与者应激诱导的血浆ACTH和皮质醇升高。在仅饮酒环节，LRNAD和LRAD参与者的焦虑自评有所减轻；在饮酒加应激环节，HRNAD和HRAD参与者的焦虑自评有所减轻。总之，HPA轴的活性因家族史和酒精依赖程度而异，而酒精饮料对焦虑自评的影响可能受家族史和压力两者影响
