How heavy alcohol consumption increases brain inflammation

In the new study, researchers compared alcohol-dependent mice with animals drinking moderate or no alcohol at all. They discovered that the alcohol-dependent group had about twice as much IL-1β in the medial prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that plays a role in regulating emotions and behaviors.

The team then went on to show that IL-1β signaling in the alcohol-dependent group was not only increased, but also fundamentally different. In mice that had not been exposed to alcohol, as well as in mice that had drunk moderate amounts of alcohol, IL-1β activated an anti-inflammatory signaling pathway. In turn, this lowered levels of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid, a signaling molecule known to regulate neural activity in the brain.

Reference:

How heavy alcohol consumption increases brain inflammation, Brain Behavior and Immunity, DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.02.020