BACKGROUND: Preclinical data suggest that brain insulin and insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) may contribute to the development of addiction. The aim of this clinical study was to evaluate the relationships between insulin and IGF-1 plasma concentrations and alcohol craving. METHODS: The correlations between insulin and craving in actively drinking alcoholics were evaluated in the experiment 1 retrospectively and in the experiment 2 in a case-control study. Experiment 3 evaluated the correlations between insulin and craving in 12-weeks abstinent alcoholics in a longitudinal study. C-peptide and IGF-1 were also investigated in experiments 2-3. Alcohol craving was evaluated by the Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS). RESULTS: Significant positive correlations between insulin concentrations and craving scores were found in actively drinkers (p < 0.05). Specifically, in the first experiment insulin significantly correlated with the compulsive scores. In the second experiment and in an analysis of experiments 1-2 together, insulin plasma concentration correlated with total OCDS craving (p < 0.05) and compulsive craving (p < 0.05) and showed a trend of correlation with the obsessive craving. At 12 weeks no correlation was found between insulin and craving scores. In all the experiments the correlations between C-peptide and craving were close to the ones between insulin and craving while IGF-1 never correlated with craving. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that insulin could be involved in the neurobiology of alcohol craving and addiction. This characteristic seems specific of insulin since similar data were found on C-peptide but not on IGF-1. Future confirming studies on larger samples are needed, also to investigate possible therapeutic implications.
BACKGROUND: Preclinical data suggest that brain insulin and insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) may contribute to the development of addiction. The aim of this clinical study was to evaluate the relationships between insulin and IGF-1 plasma concentrations and alcohol craving. METHODS: The correlations between insulin and craving in actively drinking alcoholics were evaluated in the experiment 1 retrospectively and in the experiment 2 in a case-control study. Experiment 3 evaluated the correlations between insulin and craving in 12-weeks abstinent alcoholics in a longitudinal study. C-peptide and IGF-1 were also investigated in experiments 2-3. Alcohol craving was evaluated by the Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS). RESULTS: Significant positive correlations between insulin concentrations and craving scores were found in actively drinkers (p < 0.05). Specifically, in the first experiment insulin significantly correlated with the compulsive scores. In the second experiment and in an analysis of experiments 1-2 together, insulin plasma concentration correlated with total OCDS craving (p < 0.05) and compulsive craving (p < 0.05) and showed a trend of correlation with the obsessive craving. At 12 weeks no correlation was found between insulin and craving scores. In all the experiments the correlations between C-peptide and craving were close to the ones between insulin and craving while IGF-1 never correlated with craving. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that insulin could be involved in the neurobiology of alcohol craving and addiction. This characteristic seems specific of insulin since similar data were found on C-peptide but not on IGF-1. Future confirming studies on larger samples are needed, also to investigate possible therapeutic implications.
Authors: Giovanni Addolorato; Lorenzo Leggio; F Woodward Hopf; Marco Diana; Antonello Bonci Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology Date: 2011-10-26 Impact factor: 7.853
Authors: Ilse van de Vondervoort; Geert Poelmans; Armaz Aschrafi; David L Pauls; Jan K Buitelaar; Jeffrey C Glennon; Barbara Franke Journal: J Psychiatry Neurosci Date: 2016-06 Impact factor: 6.186
Authors: Mehdi Farokhnia; Mikela B Sheskier; Mary R Lee; April N Le; Erick Singley; Sofia Bouhlal; Timmy Ton; Zhen Zhao; Lorenzo Leggio Journal: Neuropharmacology Date: 2018-04-14 Impact factor: 5.250
Authors: Lorenzo Leggio; Anna Ferrulli; Silvia Cardone; Antonio Nesci; Antonio Miceli; Noemi Malandrino; Esmeralda Capristo; Benedetta Canestrelli; Palmiero Monteleone; George A Kenna; Robert M Swift; Giovanni Addolorato Journal: Addict Biol Date: 2011-03-11 Impact factor: 4.280
Authors: Lorenzo Leggio; William H Zywiak; John E McGeary; Steven Edwards; Samuel R Fricchione; Jessica R Shoaff; Giovanni Addolorato; Robert M Swift; George A Kenna Journal: Pharmacol Biochem Behav Date: 2012-12-19 Impact factor: 3.533