Finally, although a couple of studies have reported differential effects of nor-BNI on ethanol consumption in males and females, sex differences in the role of the DYN/KOR system in ethanol-related behaviors have not been extensively studied. The relationship between sex and interactions of stress and the DYN/KOR system may be of particular interest, especially when considering known sex differences in development of stress-related psychiatric disorders (Bangasser and Valentino, 2014). Given evidence for numerous sex differences in the sensitivity and function of DYN/KOR system (Chartoff and Mavrikaki, 2015), future work should address this considerable gap in the literature.
