Clinical neuroendocrinology and neuropharmacology of alcohol withdrawal.
Wilkins. J N JN; Gorelick. D A DA
Key Findings
- Alcohol withdrawal affects many hormones and brain chemicals, including increased stress‑axis activity and changes in norepinephrine, opiates, and GABA.
- DSIP is mentioned as a possible player in withdrawal, alongside other peptides like CCK, neurotensin, and bombesin.
- The review highlights many gaps in knowledge, especially about dopamine, serotonin, and the exact role of DSIP.
Practical Outcomes
- There is no concrete protocol or dosage for DSIP in managing alcohol withdrawal. For biohackers, the main takeaway is that DSIP's role is still speculative, so it isn’t a reliable tool for withdrawal support at this time.
Summary
The paper reviews how many brain chemicals change when someone stops drinking, and it lists Delta-sleep‑inducing peptide (DSIP) as one of many substances that might be involved, but it doesn't give any clear advice on using DSIP for withdrawal.
Abstract
A number of alcohol research groups have measured anterior and posterior pituitary hormones, the endogenous opiates, CNS peptides, and putative neurotransmitters during alcohol withdrawal. The data are often complex and contradictory, though a number of themes have emerged. Activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) is increased during chronic alcohol exposure and appears to remain altered for at least 2 to 4 weeks after cessation of drinking. There is increased turnover of norepinephrine and enhanced binding of CNS adrenergic receptors. By contrast, there are decreases in CNS activity of select endogenous opiates and GABA. Other CNS compounds that may play a role in alcohol withdrawal are prolactin, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), vasopressin, cyclic 3'5'-adenosine monophophate (cAMP), Delta-sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP), and iron. Despite many studies in humans and animals, the roles of CNS dopamine and serotonin in withdrawal remain unclear. A number of peptides, including cholecystokinin (CCK), neurotensin, and bombesin, have been shown to interact with the CNS actions of alcohol and may play a role in alcohol withdrawal. Inadequate work has been performed on acetylcholine (ACh), human growth hormone (HGH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Studies of the recently identified GABA-benzodiazepine-barbituate receptor complex indicate that this system is likely to be involved in the pathophysiology of alcohol withdrawal. Perturbation studies with corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and TRH (with measures of ACTH and cortisol and TSH and prolactin, respectively), may identify patients with withdrawal-related autonomic dysfunction.
Study Information
pubmed
1986
10.1007/978-1-4899-1695-2_11
18
123