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Alcohol is the world’s most commonly consumed drug, human body’s circadian rhythms affect the reward signals we receive in the brain from drug-related behaviour, and the peak time for this reward occurs in the evening.
There is a link between the brain’s immune system and the desire to drink alcohol in the evening. Researchers were able to switch off the impulse to drink alcohol in mice by giving them a drug that blocks a specific response from the immune system in the brain.
The researchers focused their attention on the immune receptor Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). They administered the drug (+)-Naltrexone, which is known to block TLR4, to mice. Naltrexo is used to reduce the amount and frequency of drinking.
They discovered reduction in alcohol drinking behaviour in mice that had been given (+)-Naltrexone, specifically at night when the reward for drug-related behaviour is high. Blocking a specific part of the brain’s immune system substantially decrease the motivation of mice to drink alcohol in the evening.
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