Department of Pharmacology, Health Science Campus, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2011;98:401-43. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-385506-0.00010-7.
Alcohol dependence remains among the most common substance abuse problems worldwide, and compulsive alcohol consumption is a significant public health concern. Alcohol is an addictive drug that alters brain function through interactions with multiple neurotransmitter systems. These neurotransmitter systems mediate the reinforcing effects of alcohol. Specifically, the serotonergic system is important in mediating alcohol reward, preference, dependence, and craving. In this review chapter, we first discuss the serotonin system as it relates to alcoholism, and then outline interactions between this system and other neurotransmitter systems. We emphasize the serotonin transporter and its possible role in alcoholism, then present several serotonergic receptors and discuss their contribution to alcoholism, and finally assess the serotonin system as a target for pharmacotherapy, with an emphasis on current and potential treatments.
酒精依赖仍然是全球最常见的物质滥用问题之一，强制性饮酒是一个重大的公共卫生问题。酒精是一种成瘾性药物，通过与多个神经递质系统相互作用来改变大脑功能。这些神经递质系统介导酒精的强化作用。具体来说，血清素能系统在介导酒精奖赏、偏好、依赖和渴望方面起着重要作用。在这篇综述章节中，我们首先讨论了与酗酒有关的血清素能系统，然后概述了该系统与其他神经递质系统之间的相互作用。我们强调了血清素转运体及其在酗酒中的可能作用，然后介绍了几种血清素能受体，并讨论了它们对酗酒的贡献，最后评估了血清素能系统作为药物治疗的靶点，重点介绍了当前和潜在的治疗方法。
