Arginine vasopressin and adrenocorticotropin secretion in response to psychosocial stress is attenuated by ethanol in sons of alcohol-dependent fathers

摘要: Familial risk and environmental stress promote the development of alcohol dependence. We investigated whether a positive family history alcoholism affects neuroendocrine response to standardized laboratory test in healthy subjects without use disorders. Twenty-four high-risk with paternal (PHA) 16 negative (FHN) controls were evaluated. Psychosocial was induced by having deliver 5-min speech mental arithmetics front an audience on separate days, after drinking either placebo or ethanol (0.6 g/kg) randomized sequence. Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) measured 10 plasma samples covering up 75 min test. Plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) determined before stressor, at time maximum ACTH secretion, onset. The phasic increase secretion. At ACTH, AVP significantly increased relation baseline. Compared placebo, administration attenuated concentration PHA but not FHN subjects, decreased same subjects. conclude that activation hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system psychosocial is accompanied peripheral levels. Secretion both suggest attenuates selectively This might imply some short-term effect sons alcoholics, also constitute mechanism which their develop disorders increased.