Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
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Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch. Pharmacol. · Apr 2018
Microglial IL-1β progressively increases with duration of alcohol consumption.
Chronic alcohol abuse leads to severe brain damage. Although the underlying neuropathological processes are largely unknown, recent studies show that chronic alcohol consumption leads to neuroinflammation and may result in neurodegeneration and impaired neuronal connectivity. Long-term alcohol consumption promotes the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-1β, and activates microglia cells in the brain. ⋯ However, we did not find changes in the neuronal density or cortical volume after long-term alcohol consumption. These data show that 12 months of alcohol drinking leads to a pro-inflammatory activation of microglia, which may contribute to impaired neuronal connectivity in the cortex. Anti-inflammatory drug treatment during or after chronic alcohol consumption may thus provide a strategy for restoring brain homeostasis.