Author:
Tremblay Sonia,Zeng Yanqiqi,Yue Aixin,Chabot Kiana,Mynahan Abigail,Desrochers Stephanie,Bridges Sarra,Ahmad S. Tariq
Abstract
Caffeine and ethanol are among the most widely available and commonly consumed psychoactive substances. Both interact with adenosine receptor-mediated signaling which regulates numerous neurological processes including sleep and waking behaviors. In mammals, caffeine is an adenosine receptor antagonist and thus acts as a stimulant. Conversely, ethanol is a sedative because it promotes GABAergic neurotransmission, inhibits glutamatergic neurotransmission, and increases the amount of adenosine in the brain. Despite seemingly overlapping interactions, not much is known about the effect of caffeine on ethanol-induced sedation in Drosophila. In this study, using Drosophila melanogaster as a model, we show that caffeine supplementation in food delays the onset of ethanol-induced sedation in males and females of different strains. The resistance to sedation reverses upon caffeine withdrawal. Heterozygous adenosine receptor mutant flies are resistant to sedation. These findings suggest that caffeine and adenosine receptors modulate the sedative effects of ethanol in Drosophila.
Funder
Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health
Subject
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,General Immunology and Microbiology,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology