The Role of the Ghrelin System in Drug Addiction

Publication date: Available online 18 September 2017 Source:International Review of Neurobiology Author(s): Lia J. Zallar, Mehdi Farokhnia, Brendan J. Tunstall, Leandro F. Vendruscolo, Lorenzo Leggio In the past years, a significant volume of research has implicated the appetitive hormone ghrelin in the mechanisms underlying drug use and addiction. From a neuroscientific standpoint, ghrelin modulates both reward and stress pathways, two key drivers of substance use behaviors. Previous investigations support a connection between the ghrelin system and alcohol, stimulants, and tobacco use in both animals and humans, while the research on opioids and cannabis is scarce. In general, upregulation of the ghrelin system seems to enhance craving for drugs as well as substances use. On the other hand, acute and chronic exposure to drugs of abuse influences the ghrelin system at different levels. This chapter summarizes the literature on the relationship between the ghrelin system and substance-related behaviors. We also review recent work investigating the ghrelin system as a potential pharmacological target for treating substance use disorders and discuss the need for additional research.
Source: International Review of Neurobiology - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research