Behavioral Pharmacology & Pharmacogenomics

Left to Right: Jason Schroeder PhD, Amanda Sharko BS, Jennie Hillman BS, Vicky Lepoutre BA, Joyce Besheer PhD, Clyde Hodge PhD, Rebekah Stevenson BS
	Congrats to Drs. Jason Schroeder and Joyce Besheer for their nominations to receive the 2004 RSA Gordis Award! Both members of Dr. Hodge's research team were honored at the RSA Annual Meeting. Dr. Besheer won the Award for her presentation entitled "Novel mechanism of ethanol discrimination: Interaction of mGluR5 and benzodiazepine-sensitive GABAA receptors."

Goals:

• To discover the neural circuits and molecular mechanisms that mediate the reinforcing and pleasurable subjective effects of alcohol and other drugs.

• To identify the long-term effects of cocaine abuse during adolescence.

• To utilize our understanding of reinforcement to identify novel neural targets and validate pharmacological compounds that may be used to treat problems associated with alcohol abuse and alcoholism

Our studies have:

• Shown that the limbic system and extended amygdala regulate alcohol-seeking behavior and conditioned effects of alcohol

• Established that neuropeptide-Y in the hypothalamus modulates excessive alcohol drinking similar to its role in obesity via the Y1 receptor.

• Using gene knockout mice, shown that Protein Kinase C - epsilon regulates alcohol drinking, reinforcement, sensitivity, withdrawal, and mesolimbic dopamine release through enhancement of GABAA receptor function.

• Shown that adolescent exposure to cocaine leads to enhanced vulnerability to the rewarding effects of cocaine during adulthood in mice via activation of the limbic system
• Found that mGlu5 and NPY-Y5 antagonists reduce alcohol self-administration, suggesting potential therapeutic efficacy
  

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