MELBOURNE: Australian scientists say they have found a way to halt the craving an addict has for alcohol by using a drug that acts as a block to a chemical in the brain, called orexin, which induces the yearning for alcohol.
The scientists at Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute studied the cells in the hypothalamus of the brain which produce orexin, which is a chemical that has been found to cause the alcohol or drug-induced euphoria, and developed a compound that can virtually block orexin's effects.
According to the scientists, tests carried out in rats indicated that the new compound blocked orexin's effect in rats intoxicated with alcohol.
Dr Andrew Lawrence, who headed the scientists' team, said in one of the experiments, the rats that had alcohol freely available, stopped drinking after receiving the chemical. He also said rats that had undergone a detoxification program were given the blocking chemicals and it was found that they did not resume their addition when reintroduced to an environment similar to the continued use of alcohol.
Orexin, which is also called hypocretin, is a pair of highly excitatory neuropeptides found in the brain. It is responsible for the "high' created after drinking alcohol or consuming narcotics.
Lawrence said the new compound actually blocked orexin's euphoric effects in the brain. He says if a drug can be developed to block the orexin system in humans, it can virtually stop an alcoholic's craving for alcohol.
Lawrence also feels the new compound can be used in eating disorders as alcoholic addiction and eating disorders were found to set off common triggers in the brain.
The scientists are now conducting more studies to find out how the orexin system is activated so that they can develop a drug to control it. Lawrence said before an orexin-blocking drug is developed, it is necessary to find out its safety and effects of long term use.
Lawrence and his team of scientists were the first to scientifically study how alcohol impacts orexin and how addiction is created.
