The hippocampus is a key region that helps mediate response to stressors. A hallmark is feedback inhibition of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Chronic stress leads to changes in both neuronal activity and neuronal morphology.25 The hippocampus is also particularly vulnerable to the effects of alcohol. Both human and rodent studies have shown that prolonged exposure to both stress and alcohol leads to hippocampal atrophy.23, 24 The hippocampus is an especially suitable site to study the interaction of stressors and alcohol. In this study, we found a significant interaction of stress and ethanol on Per3 expression, which suggests that ethanol and stress affect the expression of Per3 in an opposing manner. The interaction of ethanol and stress could be mediated via the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal system.
