Alcohol Treatment Drug Could Help Compulsive Eaters

A drug that has been successful in decreasing alcohol cravings in addicts could also help people who are addicted to food. Researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center found that ezlopitant decreased consumption of sweetened water in rodents, which suggests a link between the neurochemical pathways of addiction and compulsive eating.

Selena Bartlett, PhD, Director of the Pre-Clinical Development Group at the Gallo Center, said that ezlopitant is an NK1-receptor antagonist that blocks the action of substance P, a neurotransmitter that may be involved in the brain’s reward system, which is associated with addiction and cravings. Bartlett said that substance P is released in the brain in response to stimuli, and must bind with neuron receptors to have an effect. Ezlopitant prevents the binding.

The rats that were given ezlopitant were significantly less motivated to drink sugar water, saccharin water, and an alcohol solution. Bartlett said this could be because the NK1 receptor is involved in the reward system of the brain that controls cravings for sweets as well as drugs and alcohol.

Previous studies have shown that NK1-receptor antagonists such as ezlopitant has decreased alcohol cravings in humans, and Bartlett says that their study found that the decreased consumption of sweetened water in rats was even greater than the decreased consumption of alcohol, which suggests that the receptor might be linked to compulsive eating. This could be an important discovery for treating food addiction.

Source: Science Daily, Biochemical Pathway May Link Addiction, Compulsive Eating, September 2, 2010