AUD is a highly prevalent condition in the world population that causes medical, psychological, personal, social and economic problems. The most severe dimension of AUDs is alcohol dependence, a condition in which individuals lose control over alcohol intake despite the negative consequences.
Although some medications have been approved for this purpose, existing pharmacotherapies are not effective for all people due to the heterogeneity of AUDs. Oleoylethanolamide is the latest ingredient found to be effective for alcohol abuse and AUDs.
Oleoylethanolamide (OEA) as a candidate for treating alcohol-induced neuroinflammation/neurotoxicity and AUDs:
During the last decades, emerging investigations have focused on the role of lipid transmitters, instead of traditional neurotransmitters, as targets for many neuropsychiatric disorders. Lipid transmitters are small molecules that are primarily generated enzymatically by the cleavage of phospholipids, which are structural components of the cell membrane. Among lipid transmitters, acylethanolamides such as OEA and palmitoylethanolamide have been shown to be upregulated in several brain disorders and to exert neuroprotective properties though the modulation of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, glial cell proliferation or neurotransmission. The disorders in which these acylethanolamides participate include stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, Hungtington’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or substance use disorders, among others.