Although the recommendation to avoid alcohol is unanimous among experts, the truth is that it is still a widely consumed substance in almost the entire world. For this reason, science continues to search for ways to avoid some of its negative effectssuch as mild intoxication (‘drunkenness’) or the discomfort that can appear after consumption (‘hangover’).
Speeds up recovery from poisoning
Now, a new study published in the specialized media Cell Metabolism He has come up with a possible solution for both ills. As reported by its authors in the article about it, it is a hormone called FGF21which in animal models (mice) has managed to counteract some of the effects of alcohol and speed recovery from intoxication with this substance.
More specifically, administration of FGF21 (a hormone that, on the other hand, strongly induces ethanol in human and murine liver) reduces the time the mice needed to recover from the unconsciousness and ataxia (loss of motor coordination) induced by alcohol consumption.
As these researchers detail, the hormone works by activating the noradrenergic neurons (those that contain the neurotransmitter norepinephrine), responsible for regulating arousal and alertness among other processes.
A drug against drunkenness and hangover
The discovery has several important implications. On the one hand, the authors argue that these results suggest that this liver-brain pathway that is naturally mediated by FGF21 evolved specifically as a protective mechanism against poisoning caused by ethanol, which in addition to drinks made by humans can be found in nature in excessively fermented fruits.
On the other hand, they believe that this pathway can become an effective target in the treatment of acute alcohol poisoning; Or what is the same, against the symptoms of drunkenness and hangoverwhich in some cases (such as ethyl coma) can even endanger life.
References
Mihwa Choi, Marc Chneeberger, Wei Fan, Jeffrey M. Friedman, David J. Mangelsdorf, Steven A. Kliewer. FGF21 counteracts alcohol intoxication by activating the noradrenergic nervous system. Cell Metabolism (2023). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2023.02.005