In addition to cocaine and other psychomotor stimulants, miRNAs have also been shown to regulate the motivational properties of alcohol. Volitional alcohol intake decreased miR-124a expression in the dorsolateral portion of the striatum of rats,123 and virus-mediated overexpression of miR-124a in striatum decreased alcohol-induced CPP and reduced alcohol drinking in rats.123 Li and coworkers have shown that alcohol consumption by rats decreased expression of miR-382 in accumbens in rats.124 It was also shown that miR-382 negatively regulates dopamine DI receptor expression, and thereby attenuates alcohol-induced increases in the transcription factor AFosB,124 known to play an important role in the rewarding effects of alcohol and other addictive drugs.125 Importantly, virus-mediated overexpression of miR-382 in accumbens attenuated alcoholinduced increases in AFosB expression and reduced alcohol intake in rats.124 Most recently, Tapocik and colleagues have shown that escalating levels of alcohol intake in alcohol-dependent rats increased expression of miR-206 in prefrontal cortex,126 a miRNA thought to play an important role in cellular responses to stress but also shown to play a key role in muscle development and cancer.127 Expression of miR-206 was unaltered
