Evidence supports the involvement of the Acb in mediating ethanol drinking (reviewed in Koob et al., 1998; McBride and Li, 1998). In particular, the shell portion of the Acb is involved in supporting reinforcement (Ikemoto et al., 1997) and reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse (reviewed in Kalivas et al., 1993). The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has also been implicated in mediating the effects of ethanol (Koob and Le Moal, 2008; McBride, 2002) and dependence-induced alcohol drinking (Roberts et al., 1996). Few studies on changes in gene expression within discrete regions of the extended amygdala following alcohol drinking have been undertaken. McBride et al. (2010) reported the effects of binge-like alcohol drinking by adult male P rats on changes in gene expression within two regions of the extended amygdala, i.e., the Acb-shell (sh) and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). Overall, the results of this study indicated that binge-like alcohol drinking produced region-selective changes in expression of genes that could alter transcription, synaptic function and neuronal plasticity.
