In addition to being implicated in alcohol-induced neurotoxicity, microglia also might contribute to the processes that lead to the development of alcohol use disorder. Recent studies in rodents support a role for microglia in voluntary alcohol drinking and preference. In a quantitative-trait locus analysis of six strains of mice that differ in voluntary alcohol-drinking behavior, alcohol-preferring animals exhibited an increase in the expression of β-2-microglobulin, an NF-κB target gene involved in microglial MHC immune signaling (Mulligan et al. 2006). In addition, knockout of the β-2-microglobulin gene in mice decreased voluntary alcohol consumption and preference (Blednov et al. 2012). Finally, treatment with minocycline, an antibiotic and selective inhibitor of microglia, reduced voluntary alcohol consumption in adult mice (Agrawal et al. 2014). These studies suggest microglia might mediate alcohol preference and might contribute to the development of alcohol use disorder.
