Abstract
Viruses that invade the central nervous system (CNS) can cause neuropsychiatric impairments. Similarly, chronic alcohol exposure can induce inflammatory responses that alter brain function. However, the effects of a chronic viral infection and comorbid alcohol use on neuroinflammation and behavior are not well-defined. We investigated the role of heavy alcohol intake in regulating inflammatory responses and behavioral signs of cognitive impairments in mice infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) clone 13. LCMV-infected mice exposed to alcohol had increased peripheral inflammation and impaired cognitive function (as indicated by performance on the novel object recognition test). Initial findings suggest that brain region-specific dysregulation of microglial response to viral infection may contribute to cognitive impairments in the context of heavy alcohol use.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 577006 |
Journal | Journal of Neuroimmunology |
Volume | 335 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 15 2019 |
Keywords
- Alcohol use disorder
- Blood brain barrier
- Cognition
- Gila
- Inflammation
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus clone 13
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Immunology
- Neurology
- Clinical Neurology