Research Interests
My primary research interests are directed at the neurobiology of alcoholism. To study the central mechanisms involved with voluntary ethanol consumption, I use both genetic and pharmacological manipulations. There are many factors that may cause an individual to progress from a moderate or social drinker to an alcoholic. In addition to environmental influences, there is growing evidence in both the human and animal literature that genetic factors contribute to alcohol abuse. Furthermore, the risk for developing alcoholism is likely not associated with a single gene, but rather with multiple genes that interact with environmental factors to determine susceptibility for uncontrolled drinking. Much of my research has been aimed at identifying genes that contribute to increased ethanol consumption. To do this I am currently investigating alcohol ingestion, as well as physiological effects associated with ethanol administration, in gene knockout and transgenic mouse models.
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Center Line Articles
Recent Publications
Click here for a list of publications from PubMed
Ferraro FM 3rd, Sparta DR, Knapp DJ, Breese GR, Thiele TE. Increased consumption but not operant self-administration of ethanol in mice lacking the RIIbeta subunit of protein kinase A. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2006 May;30(5):825-35.
Fee JR, Knapp DJ, Sparta DR, Breese GR, Picker MJ, Thiele TE. Involvement of protein kinase A in ethanol-induced locomotor activity and sensitization. Neuroscience. 2006 Jun 19;140(1):21-31.
van Dijk G, de Vries K, Nyakas C, Buwalda B, Adage T, Kuipers F, Kas MJ, Adan RA, Wilkinson CW, Thiele TE, Scheurink AJ. Reduced anorexigenic efficacy of leptin, but not of the melanocortin receptor agonist melanotan-II, predicts diet-induced obesity in rats. Endocrinology. 2005 Dec;146(12):5247-56.
Navarro M, Cubero I, Chen AS, Chen HY, Knapp DJ, Breese GR, Marsh DJ, Thiele TE. Effects of melanocortin receptor activation and blockade on ethanol intake: a possible role for the melanocortin-4 receptor. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2005 Jun;29(6):949-57.
Hayes DM, Knapp DJ, Breese GR, Thiele TE. Comparison of basal neuropeptide Y and corticotropin releasing factor levels between the high ethanol drinking C57BL/6J and low ethanol drinking DBA/2J inbred mouse strains. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2005 May;29(5):721-9.
Fee JR, Sparta DR, Knapp DJ, Breese GR, Picker MJ, Thiele TE. Predictors of high ethanol consumption in RIIbeta knock-out mice: assessment of anxiety and ethanol-induced sedation. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2004 Oct;28(10):1459-68.
Sparta DR, Fee JR, Hayes DM, Knapp DJ, MacNeil DJ, Thiele TE. Peripheral and central administration of a selective neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor antagonist suppresses ethanol intake by C57BL/6J mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2004 Sep;28(9):1324-30.
Thiele TE, Sparta DR, Hayes DM, Fee JR. A role for neuropeptide Y in neurobiological responses to ethanol and drugs of abuse. Neuropeptides. 2004 Aug;38(4):235-43.
Thiele TE, Naveilhan P, Ernfors P. Assessment of ethanol consumption and water drinking by NPY Y(2) receptor knockout mice. Peptides. 2004 Jun;25(6):975-83.
Thiele TE, Stewart RB, Badia-Elder NE, Geary N, Massi M, Leibowitz SF, Hoebel BG, Egli M. Overlapping peptide control of alcohol self-administration and feeding. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2004 Feb;28(2):288-94.
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Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill