The Latest Biology News And Medical NewsBiology News 2Health News 2Biology News 3Health News 3
HOME >> BIOLOGY >> NEWS
Alcohol's pharmacological properties, not smell or taste, reinforce its effects

  • Brain development during the first 10 days or so of rodent infancy is roughly equivalent to the third trimester of the human fetus.
  • New research indicates that alcohol's reinforcing properties during rodent infancy can be due to its pharmacological effects, independent of taste or smell.

Animal research has shown that rodent infants are susceptible to the reinforcing effects of alcohol. Scientists also know that exposure to alcohol during rodent infancy can change responsiveness to alcohol later in life. A study in the October issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research has found that alcohol's reinforcing properties during rodent infancy are due to its pharmacological effects.

"In terms of brain development, the first 10 days or so after birth for the rat is, very roughly, equivalent to the third trimester of the human fetus," said Elena I. Varlinskaya, associate research professor at Binghamton University and corresponding author for the study. "The extent to which alcohol is considered "reinforcing" is measured by the extent to which the animal approaches rather than avoids the predictor of alcohol's effects, in this case, a surrogate nipple. Previous research has indicated that infants, but not adults, might find the taste of alcohol reinforcing. Infants readily consume even high concentrations, up to at least 30 percent alcohol, whereas adults are reluctant to consume concentrations higher than six percent alcohol, and will do so only after weeks or months of training; even then they will rarely accept an alcohol concentration higher than 10 percent. Alcohol reinforcement in adult rats has been attributed largely to its pharmacological consequences. This was much less clear for infant rats, which is the reason for the present study."

"Fetuses and infants have an amazing capacity to learn and form associations among events in their environment," added Jennifer D. Thomas, assistant professor
'"/>


14-Oct-2003


Page: 1 2 3

Related biology news :

1. Alcohols effects on testosterone
2. Supramolecular assembly process provides flexibility; new DNA binding properties, solar conversion potential discovered
3. Essential smell gene may provide key to new insect repellents
4. Virginia Techs smelly corpse plant due to bloom Aug. 4
5. AChemS: Cutting edge research in taste, smell, & chemical irritation
6. Rockefeller University scientists take on controversial vibration theory of smell
7. Primates trade smell for sight
8. Progress in probing the mosquitos sense of smell
9. Ability to smell food regulated by enzymes interaction with RNA interference pathway
10. Stop to smell the flowers - But do it before theyre pollinated
11. Weizmann Institute scientists report why taste and smell differ among individuals

Post Your Comments:
(Date:11/22/2009)...scientists have succeeded in producing the polymer...g, rather than through the use of fossil fuel base...ay now allow for the production of environmentally... the journal Biotechnology and Bioengineering to...s are molecules found in everyday life in the form...
(Date:11/22/2009)... can increase the likelihood of immune complicatio...national team of researchers reports in the Novemb...hen the gene, called UGT2B17, is missing from the ...nsplants have a significantly greater risk of a se...se, in which immune cells from the donor attack ti...
(Date:11/22/2009)... Agios Pharmaceuticals today announced that its s...at the mutated IDH1 gene has a novel enzyme activi...ene. This breakthrough discovery shows that the mu...yglutarate (2HG), which may contribute to the form...st common type of brain cancers. This discovery ap...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Bioengineers succeed in producing plastic without the use of fossil fuels 2Gene mismatch influences success of bone marrow transplants 2Gene mismatch influences success of bone marrow transplants 3Gene mismatch influences success of bone marrow transplants 4Cancer metabolism discovery uncovers new role of IDH1 gene mutation in brain cancer 2Cancer metabolism discovery uncovers new role of IDH1 gene mutation in brain cancer 3Cancer metabolism discovery uncovers new role of IDH1 gene mutation in brain cancer 4Many Young Adults Uninformed About Vaccines 52443 1Many Young Adults Uninformed About Vaccines 52443 2Many Young Adults Uninformed About Vaccines 52443 3SedationFacts org Presents Content on Policies and Conditions Regarding Alternative Methods for the Administration of Propofol 52439 1SedationFacts org Presents Content on Policies and Conditions Regarding Alternative Methods for the Administration of Propofol 52439 2SedationFacts org Presents Content on Policies and Conditions Regarding Alternative Methods for the Administration of Propofol 52439 3SedationFacts org Presents Content on Policies and Conditions Regarding Alternative Methods for the Administration of Propofol 52439 4Counterfeit antimalarial drug discovered in Ghana 52436 1Counterfeit antimalarial drug discovered in Ghana 52436 2Counterfeit antimalarial drug discovered in Ghana 52436 3
(Date:11/23/2009)...l. You can think of it as origami very high-tech...nois have developed a technique for fabricating th...ures from thin films by coupling photolithography ...eractions. , The films, only a few microns thick,... with thicker pieces of the same material. , "Thi...
(Date:11/23/2009)...AUGA,ON,Nov.23/PRNewswire-FirstCall/-YMBioSciences...velopmentcompanythatidentifiesandadvancesadiversep...stagesofdevelopment,todayreportedthatCytopia(ASX:C...ngCYT387,apotent,orally-administeredJAK1/JAK2inhib...er,Minnesota.AproposaltomergeCytopiaintoYMhasbeenp...
(Date:11/23/2009)...,BC,Nov.23/PRNewswire/-InimexPharmaceuticals,Inc.a...DasitsPresidentandCEO. ,, Abramsbringsmorethan2...mex.Heisaco-inventorofthenuclearmedicineimagingage...hey,plcwherehewasManager,BiomedicalResearchWorldwi...ley,BCandwasPresidentandCEOfrom1996to2006.AnorMEDd...
(Date:11/20/2009)... , , , , , , , ... AUDIO: , A team of scientists from Washi...rizona, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Iowa Sta...orn. The... , , Click here for mo... , , , , , , , ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Water droplets direct self-assembly process in thin-film materials 2YM BIOSCIENCES REPORTS FIRST PATIENT IN PHASE I/II TRIAL OF JAK1/JAK2 INHIBITOR, CYT387 ENROLLED BY CYTOPIA 2YM BIOSCIENCES REPORTS FIRST PATIENT IN PHASE I/II TRIAL OF JAK1/JAK2 INHIBITOR, CYT387 ENROLLED BY CYTOPIA 3YM BIOSCIENCES REPORTS FIRST PATIENT IN PHASE I/II TRIAL OF JAK1/JAK2 INHIBITOR, CYT387 ENROLLED BY CYTOPIA 4Inimex Announces Appointment of New CEO 2Amaizing: Corn genome decoded 2Amaizing: Corn genome decoded 3Amaizing: Corn genome decoded 4
Other News:
.The function of proteins the workhorses of our bodies depends on how those proteins are physically folded. Researchers around the world are examining the countless complex structures of proteins to
...income children and children whose families someti...or poorer health status, according to a new study....n Journal of Public Health, was conducted by Kathe...w a Community Health Scholar at the University of ...
...mily of proteinase inhibitors that bind to the cat...ue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI-) 1, a well stud...bility to limit the clotting cascade. Based on it...tein TFPI-2 was expected to play a similar role, a...
...nt for a method of delivering normal genes in a pi...ith diabetes was issued May 1 to the University of...tent and Trademark Office.......Sometimes referred...genes has been a long-sought and elusive technique...
Proteins are vastly more complicated than previously realized 2Proteins are vastly more complicated than previously realized 3Low-income, hungry children sick more often 2UC San Francisco patents method for delivering normal genes in a pill 2UC San Francisco patents method for delivering normal genes in a pill 3
...officials charged with the ethical oversight of re...cial interests to potential clinical research part...erest Notification Study (COINS), just published i...ine and Ethics. Instead, those interviewed suggest...
... fly and a grant from the AICR the Association fo...ading scientist in London identify potential targe...n one of the first studies of its kind, Dr Buzz Ba...e for Cancer Research (LICR) is using the tiny fru...
...er 10) Researchers from the UCL Branch of the glob...e uncovered how a genetic variation present in eth...ancer susceptibility. The findings published in Na...cs, the study of how inherited variations may affe...
...ptember 11, 2006) If you're a bit weary of writin...ider covering The American Physiological Society's...ing Diversity, taking place October 8-11 in Virgin...interesting story lines you can develop, breaking ...
US clinical researchers resist full financial disclosure, according to Conflicts-of-Interest Study 2US clinical researchers resist full financial disclosure, according to Conflicts-of-Interest Study 3Using nature's most primitive anti-viral defense system to find new approaches to cancer research 2Ethnicity and cancer susceptibility 2Animal physiology conference sheds light on human physiology 2Animal physiology conference sheds light on human physiology 3Animal physiology conference sheds light on human physiology 4Animal physiology conference sheds light on human physiology 5