2023-07-28 14:40:06
He alcohol It is one of the most consumed psychoactive substances and is related to the death of three million people every year in the world and to the development of numerous diseases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Although we currently have enough information about the problems associated with alcoholism, it is not difficult to get used to drinking alcohol, especially in countries where, like Spain, it is socially accepted and is included in almost any celebration, a custom that can lead to what is known as alcohol use disorder (or AUD) alcohol use disorder).
This disorder is characterized by abuse, dependence and addiction to alcohol and conditions the behavior and social interactions of the affected person. It also influences spatial working memory (which allows us to orient ourselves in our environment) and causes neuroinflammation, an inflammatory response in the brain or spinal cord, which affects an individual’s cognitive abilities, such as thinking and reasoning.
A new study has found that the Korean red ginseng (KRG)a traditional herbal medicine widely used to treat various health problems, can attenuate deficits in spatial working memory and addictive responses in mice due to its antineuroinflammatory activity. The findings have been published in Journal of Ginseng Research.
“Korean red ginseng can improve cognitive decline caused by chronic alcohol use, so it could be a novel therapeutic intervention for the treatment of alcoholism”
Other recent research has found that Korean red ginseng extract has potential beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease, cancer, or Alzheimer’s disease. In previous studies carried out with mice, it has also been verified that this product can relieve addiction to psychoactive agents. The authors of the new paper wanted to find out if the KRG extract reduces addictive responses to alcohol in mice. The study group was led by Assistant Professor Mikyung Kim of the Uimyung Neuroscience Research Institute at the Sahmyook Universityin Corea.
“Although much is said about the healing properties of KRG against addictive drugs such as cocaine and morphine, there are not many studies that describe its effects on addictive responses to chronic alcohol consumption. Alcohol is a legalized psychoactive drug that is widely consumed. Therefore, our aim was to examine whether KRG exerts a positive effect on responses to alcohol intoxication and cognitive impairments arising from alcohol abuse,” explained Assistant Professor Kim.
KRG may alleviate addictive responses induced by alcohol
The researchers analyzed the impact of KRG on responses related to addiction and cognitive impairments caused by alcohol use. For measure the motivational influence of alcohol used specialized “conditional place preference” tests, and then examined the effects of KRG on the alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
They also used the Y-maze, Barnes maze, and novel object recognition tests to test for spatial working memory deficits after repeated exposure to KRG and alcohol. This in-depth analysis offers key insights into the potential impact of the KRG on the decreased adverse effects of alcohol addiction.
“We observed that spatial working memory was restored in KRG-treated mice exposed to alcohol. In addition, we also noted that mice treated with KRG and alcohol reduced withdrawal symptoms. The crucial finding here is that a higher dose of KRG led to greater improvement,” said Assistant Professor Kim.
The group used molecular assays on mouse hippocampal tissue extracts, the region of the brain associated with memory and learning, to identify the mechanisms underlying the effects of KRG on mental abilities. They found that KRG suppressed the PKA-CREB signaling pathway, which is stimulated during substance addiction and as a result of alcohol consumption.
In addition, the researchers also observed that KRG inhibited the secretion of inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus. These findings collectively indicate that KRG may alleviate alcohol-induced addictive responses and cognitive impairments by suppressing the PKA-CREB pathway and neuroinflammation.
“The enhanced spatial working memory of KRG-treated mice shows that KRG can improve cognitive decline caused by chronic alcohol use. These results suggest that KRG could be a novel therapeutic intervention for the treatment of AUD,” concludes Assistant Professor Kim.
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