Chronic alcohol exposure compromises brain immune cells, which are important for maintaining healthy neurons. The resulting damage fuels anxiety and alcohol drinking that may lead to alcohol use disorder. Interleukin 10, or IL-10, which is prevalent in the brain, is an immune protein. But it also appears to influence key behaviors associated with chronic alcohol use. chronic alcohol use, IL-10 was significantly reduced in the amygdala and didn’t signal properly to neurons, contributing to increased alcohol intake. Alcohol use disorder is widespread, affecting some 15 million people in the United States, and few effective treatments exist.
— source Scripps Research Institute | Nov 16, 2020