Fig. 1. Mouse Ucn1 neurocircuitry. A schematic of the source (the non-preganglionic Edinger–Westphal nucleus—npEW) and projection areas is combined with a sagittal slice showing immunohistochemical staining for Ucn1. Abbreviations of projection areas: DB—diagonal band, Dk—nucleus Darkschewitsch, DR—dorsal raphe, IC—inferior colliculus, IPC—interpeduncular nucleus, LDtg—lateral dorsal tegmental nucleus, LG—lateral geniculate, LS—lateral septum, Mm—mammilary nucleus, MT—medial thalamus, PAG—periaqueductal gray, PDtg—pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus, SC—superior colliculus, STh—subthalamic nucleus (based on Weitemier et al., 2005).

Fig. 2. Hypothetical novel neurocircuitry regulating alcohol consumption. The npEW neurons are activated in the presence of ethanol. The projection from these neurons to the dorsal raphe is involved in ethanol-induced hypothermia. The projection from npEW to lateral septum is involved in its inhibition (most likely though inhibition of excitatory projections from the hippocampus). Inhibition of LS in turn leads to disinhibition of hypothalamic areas regulating consumption of available fluids. Glu—glutamate, 5-HT—serotonin.

Summary of Fos expression mapping studies following ethanol administration in rodents

More studies on ITF expression following ethanol administration in animals have been performed. Only Fos mapping studies (simultaneously analyzing more than 3 brain areas) were included in this table. Not included in this table are also many studies analyzing ethanol withdrawal-induced Fos expression which use ethanol-exposed animals as control condition. Abbreviations: “−”—not detected; “+”—detected, but no statistical analysis performed, NE—not examined, Acb—nucleus accumbens, AH—anterior hypothalamus, AP—area postrema, BLA—basolateral amygdala, BST—bed nucleus of stria terminalis, CA1, CA2, CA3, CA4—regions of the hippocampus, CeA—central nucleus of amygdala, CPu—caudate putamen, DG—dentate gyrus, DGN—dorsal geniculate nuclei, DH—dorsal hypothalamus, EPN—entopeduncular nucleus, GP—globus pallidus, IGL—intergeniculate leaf, LC—locus coeruleus, LS—lateral septum, MA—medial amygdala, MT—medial thalamus, MS—medial septum, NCx—neorcortical areas, NTS—nucleus of the solitary tract, PBN—parabrachial nucleus, PH—posterior hypothalamus, PN—pontine nuclei, PVH—paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus, PVT—paraventricular nucleus of thalamus, SC—superior colliculus, SN—substantia nigra, SON—supraoptic nucleus, ST—subthalamic nucleus, SUM—supramammillary nucleus, TT—tenia tecta, VP—ventral pallidum, VTA—ventral tegmental area.

Ucn1 levels in rodent strains