Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37858886›Full record

ArticleNeuropharmacology2024

Catechol-O-Methyltransferase inhibition and alcohol use disorder: Evaluating the efficacy of tolcapone in ethanol-dependent rats.

Michelle R Doyle, Selen Dirik, Angelica R Martinez, Talyn E Hughes, Mohini R Iyer, Elizabeth A Sneddon, Hyeonglim Seo, Seth M Cohen, Giordano de Guglielmo

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neuropharmacology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Cannabidiol mitigates alcohol dependence and withdrawal with neuroprotective effects in the basolateral amygdala and striatum.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Michelle R DoyleDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA. Electronic address: m3doyle@health.ucsd.edu.
Selen DirikDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Angelica R MartinezDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Talyn E HughesDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Mohini R IyerDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Elizabeth A SneddonDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Hyeonglim SeoDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Seth M CohenDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Giordano de GuglielmoDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. Electronic address: gdeguglielmo@health.ucsd.edu.
University of California San Diego · USScripps Research Institute · US

Funding

Neurpsychopharmacology-Multidisciplinary TrainingT32AA007456 · NIAAA · SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE · PI MARISA ROBERTO · 1985 to 2026
$13.4M
Identification of Genetic Variants that Influence Compulsive Alcohol Intake in Outbred RatsR01AA030048 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI Giordano De Guglielmo · 2023 to 2026
$1.7M
Fragment-based Discovery of COMT Inhibitors as a Novel Pharmacotherapy for AlcoholismR21AA030630 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI COHEN, SETH M · 2023 to 2024
$392k
Investigation of how sex steroids and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors promote cocaine self-administration K00DA057923 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI Elizabeth Sneddon · 2023 to 2026
$344k
NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA030048NIAAA NIH HHS R21 AA030630NIAAA NIH HHS T32 AA007456NIDA NIH HHS K00 DA057923
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a significant public health issue in the United States. It affects millions of individuals and their families and contributes to substantial societal and economic burdens. Despite the availability of some pharmacological treatments, there is still a pressing need to develop more effective therapeutic strategies to address the diverse range of symptoms and challenges associated with AUD. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibition recently emerged as a promising new approach to treating AUD due to its potential to improve cognitive effects commonly associated with AUD. Tolcapone, an FDA-approved COMT inhibitor, has shown some promise for treating AUD; however, its ability to decrease drinking in ethanol-dependent rats has not been well-established. In this study, we evaluated the effects of tolcapone on operant, oral ethanol self-administration in non-dependent and dependent rats, and in rats that self-administered oral saccharin. To induce dependence, rats underwent the chronic intermittent exposure to vapor model, and their drinking levels were assessed during acute withdrawal from ethanol. Our results demonstrated that tolcapone attenuated responding for ethanol in dependent rats only, without affecting self-administration in non-dependent rats or rats self-administering saccharin. Moreover, we found that tolcapone was differentially effective in different estrous phases in female rats. These findings suggest that COMT inhibition, specifically using tolcapone, may be a valuable pharmacotherapy for treating AUD, particularly in individuals who are physically dependent on alcohol. Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying the observed effects and to assess the potential of COMT inhibitors in a broader population of individuals with AUD.

Indexed as

AlcoholismCatechol O-MethyltransferaseAnimalsBenzophenonesCatechol O-Methyltransferase InhibitorsEnzyme InhibitorsEthanolFemaleHumansNitrophenolsRatsSaccharinTolcaponeBenzophenonesCatechol O-MethyltransferaseCatechol O-Methyltransferase InhibitorsEnzyme InhibitorsEthanolNitrophenolsSaccharinTolcaponeAlcohol use disorderCOMTEstrous cycleEthanolRatTolcapone

Identifiers

PMID37858886
PMCPMC10873029
OpenAlexW4387709321

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.