What humans share with fruit flies
Las Fruit Share with humans 75 % of the genes participating in material addiction Like cocaine. Thanks to this similarity, scientists were able to detect the genetics of addiction and contribute to the acceleration of the treatment of treatment according to a study collected on Monday in Revista Journal of Neuroscience.
These insects can be very useful for renewing cocaine addiction. In addition to participating with humans, genes participating in the consumption of toxic substances, fruit flies grow quickly and relatively easy to conduct genetic experiments with them.
His reaction indicates when eating cocaine Adrian RothnvluPsychiatry researcher in Utah University And one of the authors of the investigation: “At low doses, they start running from one place to another, in very high doses.”
The difference is that Fruit (“” Drosophila Melanogaster “) Do not be attracted to this medicine naturally. “There is only one problem, which is that, unlike humans, they do not like cocaine at all.” Rothnvlu.
The key lies in the flavor
the Cocaine Stimulation Bitter sensation receptors Of fliesSo when the investigators gave them to choose between a sweet solution with sucrose and similar with cocaine, they systematically chose the option without medications, even when they were previously exposed to cocaine.
The answer, according to the scholars, can be in Feeling a taste FliesSince insects are evolving to avoid vegetarian toxins, cocaine is a toxin of vegetables.
Specifically, the fly has huge receptors in its “arms” (its cortical slides), so that they can put their hands in something and know how to know it before eating it.
Notice how the sensory nerves of flies responded to CocaineThe researchers realized that this Activating drugs by force of bitter taste receptors In the “arms” of flies.
By silencing the activity of these nerves so that they cannot perceive bitter flavors, They started preferring sugary water with cocaine To regular sugary water at amazing speed, at 4 pm at the first exhibition.
Accelerate
The large number of genes participating in the risk of addiction has made it difficult to determine what could be the best therapeutic goals. So when you understand the biology of addiction in the fly, it opens the possibility Accelerate the development of new treatments Prevention and treatment of the consumption disorder of this substance.
“Flies helps us move faster to determine risk genes and understand the mechanisms that better choose cocaine, which is the key to finding treatment goals that can work on this mechanism,” and concludes Rothnvlu In a statement from Utah University.
