Use of serotonin (5-HT) and opiate-based drugs in the pharmacotherapy of alcohol dependence: an overview of the preclinical data.

Numerous neurotransmitter systems [e.g. dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the endogenous opioids, and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT)] are involved in the regulation of alcohol consumption. Because 5-HT reuptake inhibitors and opioid antagonists modify the activity of neurotransmitters, it has been hypothesized that they may also mediate the desire to drink alcohol by acting on specific receptors in the brain. Animal studies have shown that concomitant administration of 5-HT and opioid antagonists reduces alcohol consumption; therefore, the combined use of several pharmacotherapies may be the most effective treatment for alcohol dependence.