How many drinks is too much?

A new rodent study suggests that even small amounts of alcohol can trigger epigenomic and transcriptome changes in brain circuitry, an area that is crucial

In addition, researchers conducting the study at the University of Illinois Chicago say the pathways to preparing the brain for addiction are the same as the pleasures that come with drinking alcohol, such as euphoria and anxiety

"This suggests that when the brain experiences the anxiolytic effects and mood lifting of alcohol — relaxation and excitement — it's also preparing for alcohol use disorder," said senior author Subhash Pandey of the study, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Chicago School of Medicine Joseph A.

It does provide some clues as to why some people are more susceptible to alcohol use disorder

"We found that dependent behavior may not always come from long-term, high-quality habits, but rather the result of rapid epigenetic changes in the brain, which we showed in this study that this change may begin to occur even at low doses

In experiments, rodents were exposed to low concentrations of alcohol, observing their behavior

When they analyzed the samples, the researchers found that a gene called hypoxia-inducing factor 3 α subunit( Hif3a for short) was associated with changes and behaviors in the brain after alcohol exposure, such as how long

Alcohol increases the expression of Hif3a and reduces anxiety

"We found that low doses of 'social drinking' altered gene expression in the amygdala, an area

Pandey and his colleagues also set up additional experiments in which they blocked genes in the amygdala of mice who drank or did not drink alcohol to verify their role

The researchers also gave the reasons

However, one thing this study doesn't illustrate is how much alcohol is safe

"Alcohol use barriers are complex and difficult to overcome

Molecular Psychiatry.