Doctors at the University of Szeged in Hungary have determined how binge drinking affects the drinker’s depressive, anxious, and social behaviors. As it turned out, during overeating, the depressive and anxious behavior disappears, but the next day the situation only worsens. The results of the scientists’ research were presented as follows: magazine alcohol.
The scientists conducted a series of experiments with male mice: they were given 20% alcohol for four days. They were then divided into two groups: the first, a selective antagonist of the CRF1 receptor antalarmin or an antagonist of the CRF2 receptor (dopamine receptor) astressin, was injected immediately after the “binge”, and the second – a day later.
The animals then entered a maze, pool, or arena with other mice, detecting signs of anxiety, depression, and assessing their ability to make contact with relatives.
The number of entries and the time spent in the maze were significantly increased in the first group compared to the control group. Also, the rats that survived the orgy spent much more time getting out of the water and swam less.
“This suggests that overeating helps reduce levels of anxiety, fear, and depression. The number of attempts to interact with an unfamiliar relative has not changed, but mice that consumed alcohol spent much more time with the stranger. Such signs of increased sociability and preference for social novelty, the scientists said, significantly decreased while taking antalarmin, but not astress,” he explained.
On the contrary, anxiety and depression symptoms increased in the second group. According to the authors, they were able to stop them with antalarmin.
“Our study showed that alcohol differently affects anxious, depressed, and social behaviors immediately after drinking and the day after. A binge episode produces an antidepressant effect. In addition, when tested after drinking, male mice prefer hypersocialization and social novelty. levels increased, which may be related to the observed anxiolytic and antidepressant effects.