Stress-related neuropeptides and alcoholism: CRH, NPY, and beyond

Ciccocioppo, Roberto; Gehlert, Donald R.; Ryabinin, Andrey; Kaur, Simranjit; Cippitelli, Andrea; Thorsell, Annika; Lê, Anh D.; Hipskind, Philip A.; Hamdouchi, Chafiq; Lu, Jianliang; Hembre, Erik J.; Cramer, Jeffrey; Song, Min; McKinzie, David; Morin, Michelle; Economidou, Daina; Stopponi, Serena; Cannella, Nazzareno; Braconi, Simone; Kallupi, Marsida; de Guglielmo, Giordano; Massi, Maurizio; George, David T.; Gilman, Jody; Hersh, Jacqueline; Tauscher, Johannes T.; Hunt, Stephen P.; Hommer, Daniel; Heilig, Markus

doi:10.1016/j.alcohol.2009.08.003

« Previous Next »Alcohol
Volume 43, Issue 7 , Pages 491-498, November 2009

Stress-related neuropeptides and alcoholism: CRH, NPY, and beyond

Roberto Ciccocioppo
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Public Health, University of Camerino, Via madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Macerata, Italy
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +39-0737-403313; fax: +39-0737-630618.
Donald R. Gehlert
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA
Andrey Ryabinin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
Simranjit Kaur
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
Andrea Cippitelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Public Health, University of Camerino, Via madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Macerata, Italy
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Annika Thorsell
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Anh D. Lê
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1, Canada
Philip A. Hipskind
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA
Chafiq Hamdouchi
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA
Jianliang Lu
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA
Erik J. Hembre
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA
Jeffrey Cramer
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA
Min Song
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA
David McKinzie
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA
Michelle Morin
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA
Daina Economidou
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Public Health, University of Camerino, Via madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Macerata, Italy
Serena Stopponi
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Public Health, University of Camerino, Via madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Macerata, Italy
Nazzareno Cannella
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Public Health, University of Camerino, Via madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Macerata, Italy
Simone Braconi
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Public Health, University of Camerino, Via madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Macerata, Italy
Marsida Kallupi
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Public Health, University of Camerino, Via madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Macerata, Italy
Giordano de Guglielmo
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Public Health, University of Camerino, Via madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Macerata, Italy
Maurizio Massi
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Public Health, University of Camerino, Via madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Macerata, Italy
David T. George
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Jody Gilman
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Jacqueline Hersh
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Johannes T. Tauscher
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA
Stephen P. Hunt
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
Daniel Hommer
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Markus Heilig
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA

Received 30 March 2009; accepted 12 August 2009.

Abstract

This article summarizes the proceedings of a symposium held at the conference on “Alcoholism and Stress: A Framework for Future Treatment Strategies” in Volterra, Italy, May 6–9, 2008. Chaired by Markus Heilig and Roberto Ciccocioppo, this symposium offered a forum for the presentation of recent data linking neuropetidergic neurotransmission to the regulation of different alcohol-related behaviors in animals and in humans. Dr. Donald Gehlert described the development of a new corticotrophin-releasing factor receptor 1 antagonist and showed its efficacy in reducing alcohol consumption and stress-induced relapse in different animal models of alcohol abuse. Dr. Andrey Ryabinin reviewed recent findings in his laboratory, indicating a role of the urocortin 1 receptor system in the regulation of alcohol intake. Dr. Annika Thorsell showed data supporting the significance of the neuropeptide Y receptor system in the modulation of behaviors associated with a history of ethanol intoxication. Dr. Roberto Ciccocioppo focused his presentation on the nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) receptors as treatment targets for alcoholism. Finally, Dr. Markus Heilig showed recent preclinical and clinical evidence suggesting that neurokinin 1 antagonism may represent a promising new treatment for alcoholism. Collectively, these investigators highlighted the significance of neuropeptidergic neurotransmission in the regulation of neurobiological mechanisms of alcohol addiction. Data also revealed the importance of these systems as treatment targets for the development of new medication for alcoholism.

Keywords: CRH, Nociceptin/orphanin FQ, Neurokinins, Substance P, Neuropeptide Y, Urocortin