Inhibition of HCN channels decreases motivation for alcohol and deprivation-induced drinking in alcohol preferring rats

Abstract

Globally, around 400 million people live with an alcohol use disorder (AUD), yet current treatments available are suboptimal at a population level. Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation (HCN) channels are implicated in the modulation of complex motivated behaviours, including reward seeking. Here, we investigated the potential involvement of HCN channels in alcohol reinforcing effects, contributing to alcohol intake and relapse-like drinking following abstinence in iP rats. The functional role of HCN channels in the motivation to acquire alcohol and relapse-like behaviour was tested in vivo through intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of a HCN channel inhibitor, ZD7288..