Clinical Background

Alcoholism is a widespread disorder characterized by compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcohol.  The impact of repeated heavy use of alcohol can be devastating.  Possible implications include cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, epilepsy, and damage to the nervous system.  Currently, very few pharmaceutical interventions are available to help prevent alcohol consumption.

Drinking in the Dark (DID)

Biomodels uses the Drinking in the Dark (DID) mouse model of alcoholism.  In this model, the C57BL/6J strain of mice will voluntarily drink ethanol to intoxication when access is limited to a few hours following the initiation of the dark cycle.  This is unlike most animal models of alcoholism in which the animals do not reach blood ethanol concentrations which produce significant intoxication.  Currently prescribed alcoholism medications, acamprosate and naltrexone, have been shown as efficacious in the DID model.  See the publication list below for more information on the DID model.

Scientific Advisor
Justin Rhodes, Ph.D.
Dr. Rhodes is a co-founder of the Drinking in the Dark animal model.  He is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois where his lab studies neurobiology of motivation and addiction, behavior genetics, and the effects of exercise on brain function and cognition.

Publications

1. Acute effects of acamprosate and MPEP on ethanol Drinking-in-the-dark
2. Acute effects of naltrexone and GBR 12909 on ethanol drinking-in-the-dark
3. Evaluation of a simple model of ethanol drinking to intoxication
4. Mouse inbred strain differences in ethanol drinking to intoxication.