Brain acid sphingomyelinase controls addiction-related behaviours in a sex-specific way.
Neurobiology of disease March 1, 2025 Liubov S Kalinichenko, Iulia Zoicas, Anne-Marie Bienia et al. 4 citations
Overexpression of acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) in the forebrain affects addiction-related behaviors differently in male and female mice. In males, forebrain ASM overexpression increased alcohol consumption in a free-choice paradigm and reduced conditioned place preference (CPP) for alcohol and cocaine, but not for amphetamine, ketamine, or high-fat/carbohydrate food. In females, it increased binge-like alcohol drinking while moderate consumption remained unchanged, and enhanced CPP for amphetamine but not other substances. These findings suggest ASM plays a sex-specific role in the reinforcing effects of certain addictive substances, offering potential molecular targets for drug- and sex-specific therapies.