Role of corticotropin-releasing factor in alcohol and nicotine addiction.

The two most prevalent substance use disorders involve alcohol (alcohol use disorder) and nicotine (tobacco use disorder), which are often co-abused. Robust preclinical and translational evidence indicates that individuals initiate drug use for the acute rewarding effects of the substance. The development of negative emotional states is key for the transition from recreational use to substance use disorders as subjects seek the substance to obtain relief from the negative emotional states of acute withdrawal and protracted abstinence. The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a major regulator of the brain stress system and key in the development of negative affective states. The present review examines the role of CRF in preclinical models of alcohol and nicotine abuse and explores links between CRF and anxiety-like, dysphoria-like, and other negative affective states. Finally, the present review discusses preclinical models of nicotine and alcohol use with regard to the CRF system, advances in molecular and genetic manipulations of CRF, and the importance of examining both males and females in this field of research.

两种最常见的物质使用障碍涉及酒精（酒精使用障碍）和尼古丁（烟草使用障碍），它们经常被共同滥用。有力的临床前和转化证据表明，个体因物质的急性奖赏效应而开始使用药物。消极情绪状态的发展是从娱乐性使用向物质使用障碍转变的关键，因为受试者寻求物质以从急性戒断和长期禁欲的消极情绪状态中获得缓解。神经肽促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子（CRF）是大脑应激系统的主要调节因子，也是消极情感状态发展的关键。本综述探讨了CRF在酒精和尼古丁滥用的临床前模型中的作用，并探究了CRF与焦虑样、烦躁样和其他消极情感状态之间的联系。最后，本综述讨论了关于CRF系统的尼古丁和酒精使用的临床前模型、CRF的分子和基因操作的进展，以及在该研究领域中对雄性和雌性进行研究的重要性。