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The urocortin 1 neurocircuit: ethanol-sensitivity and potential involvement in alcohol consumption.

Ryabinin AE, Weitemier AZ

Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, L470, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, 97239, USA. ryabinin@ohsu.edu

One of the hallmarks of alcoholism is continued excessive consumption of alcohol-containing beverages despite the negative consequences of such behavior. The neurocircuitry regulating alcohol consumption is not well understood. Recent studies have shown that the neuropeptide urocortin 1 (Ucn1), a member of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family of peptides, could be an important player in the regulation of alcohol consumption. This evidence is accumulated along three directions of research: (1) Ucn 1-containing neurons are extremely sensitive to alcohol; (2) the Ucn1 neurocircuit may contribute to the genetic predisposition to high alcohol intake in mice and rats; (3) manipulation of the Ucn1 system alters alcohol consumption and sensitivity. This paper reviews the current knowledge of the Ucn1 neurocircuit and the evidence for its involvement in alcohol-related behaviors, and proposes a mechanism for its involvement in the regulation of alcohol consumption.

Published 5 October 2006 in Brain Res Brain Res Rev, 52(2): 368-80.
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