Alcohol: mechanisms along the mesolimbic dopamine system.

The reward systems are important for rewards, natural and artificial. An important part of these systems is the mesolimbic dopamine system, consisting of a dopamine projection from the ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens. There is an underlying disruption in the reward systems in individuals with alcohol dependence. Elucidation of the neurochemical mechanisms involved in the ability of alcohol to activate the mesolimbic dopamine system could identify novel targets for the treatment of alcohol dependence. The role of dopamine, for example, by using the dopamine stabilizer (-)-OSU6162, in alcohol dependence will be revised. Data showing that local perfusion of alcohol into reward nodes activates the mesolimbic dopamine system will be reviewed. The effects of alcohol on ligand-gated ion channels will be introduced. Finally, the findings demonstrating that gut-brain peptides, such as ghrelin and glucagon-like peptide-1, are important for alcohol-mediated will be presented.