Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research
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Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. · Sep 2013
Observational StudyImpact of lifetime alcohol use on liver fibrosis in a population of HIV-infected patients with and without hepatitis C coinfection.
The effect of alcohol on liver disease in HIV infection has not been well characterized. ⋯ In this cohort of HIV-infected patients with alcohol problems, we found no significant association between lifetime alcohol consumption and the absence of liver fibrosis or the presence of advanced liver fibrosis, suggesting that alcohol may be less important than other known factors that promote liver fibrosis in this population.
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Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. · Aug 2013
Activation of PPARγ by pioglitazone potentiates the effects of naltrexone on alcohol drinking and relapse in msP rats.
Pioglitazone is a selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) agonist used for the treatment of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Previous studies conducted in our laboratory showed that activation of PPARγ by pioglitazone reduces alcohol drinking, stress-induced relapse, and alcohol withdrawal syndrome in rats. Pioglitazone was not able to prevent relapse elicited by alcohol cues. Conversely, the nonselective opioid antagonist naltrexone has been shown to reduce alcohol drinking and cue- but not stress-induced relapse in rodents. ⋯ The drug combination was effective in reducing both relapse behaviors. These findings open new vistas in the use pioglitazone in combination with naltrexone for the treatment of alcoholism.
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Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. · Apr 2013
ReviewPrevention and therapy of alcohol withdrawal on intensive care units: systematic review of controlled trials.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) occurs in 16 to 31% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients after cessation of sedation. There exist many preventive and therapeutic strategies, but no systematic review (SR) has been published on this topic so far. We aimed to perform a synopsis of all controlled trials of AWS prevention and therapy in ICU published between 1971 and 30 March 2011 following the "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses" (PRISMA) statement. ⋯ Based on the evidence of this SR, EtOH or BZO can be advised for AWS prevention on ICU patients with alcohol dependence, but EtOH is not allowed for therapy of AWS. AWS therapy should be standardized and based on symptom-triggered BZO administration. Alpha2-agonists and haloperidol should be added for autonomic and productive psychotic symptoms.
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Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. · Jan 2013
Meta AnalysisA meta-analysis on the impact of alcohol dependence on short-term resting-state heart rate variability: implications for cardiovascular risk.
Alcohol dependence is associated with an increased likelihood of cardiac events. Reductions in heart rate variability (HRV) may be one mechanism linking dependence with these events. HRV may also be related to poor social functioning and the lack of impulse control commonly observed in alcohol-dependent individuals. However, prior studies on the impact of alcohol dependence on HRV have reported contradictory findings highlighting the need for a meta-analysis. ⋯ Alcohol dependence is associated with reduced HRV, an effect associated with a medium effect size. Findings highlight the importance of monitoring alcohol-dependent patients for cardiac disease and emphasize the need for cardiovascular risk reduction strategies in these patients.
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Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. · Jan 2013
Subjective response to alcohol among alcohol-dependent individuals: effects of the μ-opioid receptor (OPRM1) gene and alcoholism severity.
Subjective response to alcohol has been examined as a marker of alcoholism risk. The A118G single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1) gene has been previously associated with subjective response to alcohol in heavy drinkers. This study seeks to extend the literature by examining the effect of OPRM1 genotype on responses to alcohol in a sample of alcohol-dependent individuals. A secondary aim of this study is to examine alcoholism severity as a predictor of subjective responses to alcohol. ⋯ These results support the hypothesis that OPRM1 genotype moderates the hedonic effects of alcohol, but not the sedative and unpleasant effects of alcohol, in a sample of alcohol-dependent patients. Results are discussed in light of a clinical neuroscience framework to alcoholism.