Investigation of the role of the Edinger-Westphal nucleus in mouse models of chronic alcohol consumption

Pécsi Tudományegyetem

Gyógyszertudomány Doktori Iskola

Gasznerné Kormos Viktória

gyógyszerészeti tudományok

Excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for 3 million deaths worldwide each year, accounting for 5.3% of all deaths, and has been shown to play a pathogenic role in more than 200 diseases. It is known that urocortinergic cells of the central nervous system centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EWcp) are activated during acute and chronic alcohol consumption and their expression of urocortin 1 (UCN1) is increased. Several neurotransmitters and neuromodulators are found in this nucleus and have been implicated in the development of alcohol dependence in both mouse and rat models. Our aim is to investigate EWcp urocortinergic neurons in mouse models of chronic alcohol consumption using complex behavioural, neuroendocrine, functional-neuromorphological and molecular biological methods. The importance of the research topic is underlined by the fact that the consequences of pathological alcohol consumption are a major social, economic, health and neuropsychiatric problem. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying alcohol abuse may bring us closer to mitigating the harmful consequences of alcohol addiction.

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2025-05-16