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Das U, Gangisetty O, Chaudhary S, Tarale P, Rousseau B, Price J, Frazier I, Sarkar DK. Epigenetic insight into effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on stress axis development: Systematic review with meta-analytic approaches. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2023; 47:18-35. [PMID: 36341762 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We conducted a systematic review with meta-analytic elements using publicly available Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets to determine the role of epigenetic mechanisms in prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE)-induced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunctions in offspring. Several studies have demonstrated that PAE has long-term consequences on HPA axis functions in offspring. Some studies determined that alcohol-induced epigenetic alterations during fetal development persist in adulthood. However, additional research is needed to understand the major epigenetic events leading to alcohol-induced teratogenesis of the HPA axis. Our network analysis of GEO datasets identified key pathways relevant to alcohol-mediated histone modifications, DNA methylation, and miRNA involvement associated with PAE-induced alterations of the HPA axis. Our analysis indicated that PAE perturbated the epigenetic machinery to activate corticotrophin-releasing hormone, while it suppressed opioid, glucocorticoid receptor, and circadian clock genes. These results help to further our understanding of the epigenetic basis of alcohol's effects on HPA axis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ujjal Das
- Endocrinology Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Omkaram Gangisetty
- Endocrinology Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Shaista Chaudhary
- Endocrinology Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Prashant Tarale
- Endocrinology Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Bénédicte Rousseau
- Endocrinology Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Julianne Price
- Molecular Neuroscience of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Training, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.,Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Kinesiology & Health, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Ian Frazier
- Molecular Neuroscience of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Training, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.,Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Kinesiology & Health, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Dipak K Sarkar
- Endocrinology Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.,Molecular Neuroscience of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Training, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.,Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.,Rutgers Endocrinology Program, Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
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2
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Asiedu B, Nyakudya TT, Lembede BW, Chivandi E. Early-life exposure to alcohol and the risk of alcohol-induced liver disease in adulthood. Birth Defects Res 2021; 113:451-468. [PMID: 33577143 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol consumption remains prevalent among pregnant and nursing mothers despite the well-documented adverse effects this may have on the offspring. Moderate-to-high levels of alcohol consumption in pregnancy result in fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) disorders, with brain defects being chief among the abnormalities. Recent findings indicate that while light-to-moderate levels may not cause FAS, it may contribute to epigenetic changes that make the offspring prone to adverse health outcomes including metabolic disorders and an increased propensity in the adolescent-onset of drinking alcohol. On the one hand, prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) causes epigenetic changes that affect lipid and glucose transcript regulating genes resulting in metabolic abnormalities. On the other hand, it can program offspring for increased alcohol intake, enhance its palatability, and increase acceptance of alcohol's flavor through associative learning, making alcohol a plausible second hit for the development of alcohol-induced liver disease. Adolescent drinking results in alcohol dependence and abuse in adulthood. Adolescent drinking results in alcohol dependence and abuse in adulthood. Alterations on the opioid system, particularly, the mu-opioid system, has been implicated in the mechanism that induces increased alcohol consumption and acceptance. This review proposes a mechanism that links PAE to the development of alcoholism and eventually to alcoholic liver disease (ALD), which results from prolonged alcohol consumption. While PAE may not lead to ALD development in childhood, there are chances that it may lead to ALD in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernice Asiedu
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Trevor Tapiwa Nyakudya
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Pretoria, Gezina, South Africa
| | - Busisani Wiseman Lembede
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Eliton Chivandi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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3
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Miranda-Morales RS, D'Aloisio G, Anunziata F, Abate P, Molina JC. Fetal Alcohol Programming of Subsequent Alcohol Affinity: A Review Based on Preclinical, Clinical and Epidemiological Studies. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:33. [PMID: 32210775 PMCID: PMC7077749 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The anatomo-physiological disruptions inherent to different categories of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder do not encompass all the negative consequences derived from intrauterine ethanol (EtOH) exposure. Preclinical, clinical and epidemiological studies show that prenatal EtOH exposure also results in early programming of alcohol affinity. This affinity has been addressed through the examination of how EtOH prenatally exposed organisms recognize and prefer the drug’s chemosensory cues and their predisposition to exhibit heightened voluntary EtOH intake during infancy and adolescence. In altricial species these processes are determined by the interaction of at least three factors during stages equivalent to the 2nd and 3rd human gestational trimester: (i) fetal processing of the drug’s olfactory and gustatory attributes present in the prenatal milieu; (ii) EtOH’s recruitment of central reinforcing effects that also imply progressive sensitization to the drug’s motivational properties; and (iii) an associative learning process involving the prior two factors. This Pavlovian learning phenomenon is dependent upon the recruitment of the opioid system and studies also indicate a significant role of EtOH’s principal metabolite (acetaldehyde, ACD) which is rapidly generated in the brain via the catalase system. The central and rapid accumulation of this metabolite represents a major factor involved in the process of fetal alcohol programming. According to recent investigations, it appears that ACD exerts early positive reinforcing consequences and antianxiety effects (negative reinforcement). Finally, this review also acknowledges human clinical and epidemiological studies indicating that moderate and binge-like drinking episodes during gestation result in neonatal recognition of EtOH’s chemosensory properties coupled with a preference towards these cues. As a whole, the studies under discussion emphasize the notion that even subteratogenic EtOH exposure during fetal life seizes early functional sensory and learning capabilities that pathologically shape subsequent physiological and behavioral reactivity towards the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Sebastián Miranda-Morales
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Genesis D'Aloisio
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Florencia Anunziata
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Paula Abate
- Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Juan Carlos Molina
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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4
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Gaztañaga M, Angulo-Alcalde A, Chotro MG. Prenatal Alcohol Exposure as a Case of Involuntary Early Onset of Alcohol Use: Consequences and Proposed Mechanisms From Animal Studies. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:26. [PMID: 32210773 PMCID: PMC7066994 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure has been found to be an important factor determining later consumption of this drug. In humans, despite the considerable diversity of variables that might influence alcohol consumption, longitudinal studies show that maternal alcohol intake during gestation is one of the best predictors of later alcohol use from adolescence to young adulthood. Experimental studies with animals also provide abundant evidence of the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on later alcohol intake. In addition to increased consumption, other effects include enhanced palatability and attractiveness of alcohol flavor as well as sensitization to its sensory and reinforcing effects. Most of these outcomes have been obtained after exposing rats to binge-like administrations of moderate alcohol doses during the last gestational period when the fetus is already capable of detecting flavors in the amniotic fluid and learning associations with aversive or appetitive consequences. On this basis, it has been proposed that one of the mechanisms underlying the increased acceptance of alcohol after its prenatal exposure is the acquisition (by the fetus) of appetitive learning via an association between the sensory properties of alcohol and its reinforcing pharmacological effects. It also appears that this prenatal appetitive learning is mediated by the activation of the opioid system, with fetal brain acetaldehyde playing an important role, possibly as the main chemical responsible for its activation. Here, we review and analyze together the results of all animal studies testing these hypotheses through experimental manipulation of the behavioral and neurochemical elements of the assumed prenatal association. Understanding the mechanisms by which prenatal alcohol exposure favors the early initiation of alcohol consumption, along with its role in the causal pathway to alcohol disorders, may allow us to find strategies to mitigate the behavioral effects of this early experience with the drug. We propose that prenatal alcohol exposure is regarded as a case of involuntary early onset of alcohol use when designing prevention policies. This is particularly important, given the notion that the sooner alcohol intake begins, the greater the possibility of a continued history of alcohol consumption that may lead to the development of alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirari Gaztañaga
- Departamento de Procesos Psicológicos Básicos y su Desarrollo, Facultad de Psicología, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU-Donostia-San Sebastián, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Asier Angulo-Alcalde
- Departamento de Procesos Psicológicos Básicos y su Desarrollo, Facultad de Psicología, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU-Donostia-San Sebastián, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - M Gabriela Chotro
- Departamento de Procesos Psicológicos Básicos y su Desarrollo, Facultad de Psicología, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU-Donostia-San Sebastián, San Sebastian, Spain
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5
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Ma YY. Striatal morphological and functional alterations induced by prenatal alcohol exposure. Pharmacol Res 2019; 142:262-266. [PMID: 30807864 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is an insidious yet preventable cause of developmental disability. The prenatal stage is a critical period for brain development with the concurrence of high vulnerability to the acute and prolonged effects of PAE. There is substantial evidence from both human observations and laboratory experiments that PAE is a common risk factor that predisposes to an array of postnatal mental disorders, including emotional, cognitive, and motor deficits. Although it is well accepted that PAE causes substantial morbidity, available treatments are limited. One reason is the lack of sufficient understanding about the neuroalterations induced by PAE, and how these changes contribute to PAE-induced mental disorders. Among a number of brain structures that have been explored extensively in PAE, the striatum has attracted great attention in the last 20 years in the field of PAE neurobiology. Interestingly, in animal models, the striatum has been considered as a pivotal switch of brain dysfunction induced by PAE, such as addiction, anxiety, depression, and neurodegeneration. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the understanding of morphological and functional changes in brain regions related to alterations after PAE, in particular the striatum. Because this region is central for behavior, emotion and cognition, there is an urgent need for more studies to uncover the PAE-induced alterations at the circuit, neuronal, synaptic and molecular levels, which will not only improve our understanding of the neuroplasticity induced by PAE, but also provide novel biological targets to treat PAE-related mental disorders with translational significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Ying Ma
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Drive, MS A422, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States.
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6
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Age as a factor in stress and alcohol interactions: A critical role for the kappa opioid system. Alcohol 2018; 72:9-18. [PMID: 30322483 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The endogenous kappa opioid system has primarily been shown to be involved with a state of dysphoria and aversion. Stress and exposure to drugs of abuse, particularly alcohol, can produce similar states of unease and anxiety, implicating the kappa opioid system as a target of stress and alcohol. Numerous behavioral studies have demonstrated reduced sensitivity to manipulations of the kappa opioid system in early life relative to adulthood, and recent reports have shown that the kappa opioid system is functionally different across ontogeny. Given the global rise in early-life stress and alcohol consumption, understanding how the kappa opioid system responds and adapts to stress and/or alcohol exposure differently in early life and adulthood is imperative. Therefore, the objective of this review is to highlight and discuss studies examining the impact of early-life stress and/or alcohol on the kappa opioid system, with focus on the documented neuroadaptations that may contribute to future vulnerability to stress and/or increase the risk of relapse. We first provide a brief summary of the importance of studying the effects of stress and alcohol during early life (prenatal, neonatal/juvenile, and adolescence). We then discuss the literature on the effects of stress or alcohol during early life and adulthood on the kappa opioid system. Finally, we discuss the few studies that have shown interactions between stress and alcohol on the kappa opioid system and provide some discussion about the need for studies investigating the development of the kappa opioid system.
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7
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Gaztañaga M, Angulo-Alcalde A, Spear NE, Chotro MG. The Role of Acetaldehyde in the Increased Acceptance of Ethanol after Prenatal Ethanol Exposure. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:14. [PMID: 28197082 PMCID: PMC5281627 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies show that acetaldehyde, the first metabolite in the oxidation of ethanol, can be responsible for both, the appetitive and the aversive effects produced by ethanol intoxication. More specifically, it has been hypothesized that acetaldehyde produced in the periphery by the liver is responsible for the aversive effects of ethanol, while the appetitive effects relate to the acetaldehyde produced centrally through the catalase system. On the other hand, from studies in our and other laboratories, it is known that ethanol exposure during the last gestational days (GD) consistently enhances the postnatal acceptance of ethanol when measured during early ontogeny in the rat. This increased liking of ethanol is a conditioned appetitive response acquired by the fetus by the association of ethanol’s flavor and an appetitive reinforcer. Although this reinforcer has not yet been fully identified, one possibility points to acetaldehyde produced centrally in the fetus as a likely candidate. This hypothesis is supported by data showing that very early in the rat’s ontogeny brain catalases are functional, while the liver’s enzymatic system is still immature. In this study, rat dams were administered on GD 17–20 with water or ethanol, together with an acetaldehyde-sequestering agent (D-penicillamine). The offspring’s responses to ethanol was then assessed at different postnatal stages with procedures adequate for each developmental stage: on day 1, using the “odor crawling locomotion test” to measure ethanol’s odor attractiveness; on day 5, in an operant conditioning procedure with ethanol as the reinforcer; and on day 14 in an ethanol intake test. Results show that the absence of acetaldehyde during prenatal ethanol exposure impeded the observation of the increased acceptance of ethanol at any age. This seems to confirm the crucial role of acetaldehyde as a reinforcer in the appetitive learning occurring during prenatal ethanol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirari Gaztañaga
- Departamento de Procesos Psicológicos Básicos y su Desarrollo, Facultad de Psicología, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Donostia-San Sebastián Gipuzkoa, Spain
| | - Asier Angulo-Alcalde
- Departamento de Procesos Psicológicos Básicos y su Desarrollo, Facultad de Psicología, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Donostia-San Sebastián Gipuzkoa, Spain
| | - Norman E Spear
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - M Gabriela Chotro
- Departamento de Procesos Psicológicos Básicos y su Desarrollo, Facultad de Psicología, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Donostia-San Sebastián Gipuzkoa, Spain
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8
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Nizhnikov ME, Popoola DO, Cameron NM. Transgenerational Transmission of the Effect of Gestational Ethanol Exposure on Ethanol Use-Related Behavior. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 40:497-506. [PMID: 26876534 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) enhances the risk for alcoholism by increasing the propensity to consume alcohol and altering neurophysiological response to alcohol challenge. Trans-generationally transmittable genetic alterations have been implicated in these behavioral changes. To date, transgenerational transmission of PAE-induced behavioral responses to alcohol has never been experimentally investigated. Therefore, we explored the transgenerational transmission of PAE-induced behavioral effects across 3 generations. METHODS Pregnant Sprague Dawley dams received 1 g/kg ethanol (EtOH) or water daily on gestational days 17 through 20 via gavage, or remained untreated in their home cages. To produce second filial (F2) or F3 generations, similarly treated adult F1 or F2 offspring were mated and left undisturbed through gestation. On postnatal day (PND) 14, male and female F1, F2, and F3 offspring were tested for consumption of 5% (w/v) EtOH (in water), or water. Using the loss of righting reflex (LORR) paradigm on PND 42, F1 and F2 adolescent male offspring were tested for sensitivity to acute EtOH-induced sedation-hypnosis at 3.5 or 4.5 g/kg dose. F3 male adolescents were similarly tested at 3.5 g/kg dose. Blood EtOH concentration (BEC) was measured at waking. RESULTS EtOH exposure increased EtOH consumption compared to both water and untreated control groups in all generations. EtOH-treated group F1 and F2 adolescents displayed attenuated LORR duration compared to the water group. No attenuated LORR was observed in the F3 generation. BEC at waking corroborated with the significant LORR duration differences while also revealing differences between untreated control and water groups in F1 and F2 generations. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide novel behavioral evidence attesting that late gestational moderate EtOH exposure increases EtOH intake across 3 generations and may alter sensitivity to EtOH-induced sedation-hypnosis across 2 generations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel O Popoola
- Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.,Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York
| | - Nicole M Cameron
- Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.,Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York
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9
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Aranda-Fernandez PE, Gaztañaga M, Arias C, Chotro MG. Conditioned inhibition in preweanling rats. Dev Psychobiol 2015; 58:98-106. [PMID: 26496996 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2014] [Accepted: 09/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory conditioning is a very well established phenomenon in associative learning that has been demonstrated in both humans and adult animals. But in spite of the fact that this topic has generated much empirical and theoretical work, there are no published studies assessing inhibitory learning during the early ontogeny of the rat. In this study we test the possibility of finding conditioned inhibition in infant rats (Day 10) using a conditioned taste aversion procedure. We tested whether the consumption of saccharin (A) was reduced when paired with a LiCl injection compared to the presentation of saccharin in compound with a lemon odor (AX) without any aversive consequence. After training, retardation, and summation tests were conducted in order to evaluate the inhibitory properties of the lemon odor (X). The results of this study showed that in male pups, after conditioned inhibition training, stimulus X passed both retardation and summation tests. These results indicate that conditioned inhibition can be established in the early development of the rat, suggesting that animals at this stage of ontogeny have the capacity to acquire and to express inhibitory conditioning, although this effect appears to be sex-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mirari Gaztañaga
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Carlos Arias
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra Córdoba, Argentina
| | - M Gabriela Chotro
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
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10
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Crowley NA, Kash TL. Kappa opioid receptor signaling in the brain: Circuitry and implications for treatment. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2015; 62:51-60. [PMID: 25592680 PMCID: PMC4465498 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2014] [Revised: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Kappa opioid receptors (KORs) in the central nervous system have been known to be important regulators of a variety of psychiatry illnesses, including anxiety and addiction, but their precise involvement in these disorders is complex and has yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we briefly review the pharmacology of KORs in the brain, including KOR's involvement in anxiety, depression, and drug addiction. We also review the known neuronal circuitry impacted by KOR signaling, and interactions with corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), another key peptide in anxiety-related illnesses, as well as the role of glucocorticoids. We suggest that KORs are a promising therapeutic target for a host of neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A. Crowley
- Neurobiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA,Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Thomas L. Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA,Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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11
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Hannigan JH, Chiodo LM, Sokol RJ, Janisse J, Delaney-Black V. Prenatal alcohol exposure selectively enhances young adult perceived pleasantness of alcohol odors. Physiol Behav 2015; 148:71-7. [PMID: 25600468 PMCID: PMC4591746 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2014] [Revised: 01/08/2015] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can lead to life-long neurobehavioral and social problems that can include a greater likelihood of early use and/or abuse of alcohol compared to older teens and young adults without PAE. Basic research in animals demonstrates that PAE influences later postnatal responses to chemosensory cues (i.e., odor & taste) associated with alcohol. We hypothesized that PAE would be related to poorer abilities to identify odors of alcohol-containing beverages, and would alter perceived alcohol odor intensity and pleasantness. To address this hypothesis we examined responses to alcohol and other odors in a small sample of young adults with detailed prenatal histories of exposure to alcohol and other drugs. The key finding from our controlled analyses is that higher levels of PAE were related to higher relative ratings of pleasantness for alcohol odors. As far as we are aware, this is the first published study to report the influence of PAE on responses to alcohol beverage odors in young adults. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that positive associations (i.e., "pleasantness") to the chemosensory properties of alcohol (i.e., odor) are acquired prenatally and are retained for many years despite myriad interceding postnatal experiences. Alternate hypotheses may also be supported by the results. There are potential implications of altered alcohol odor responses for understanding individual differences in initiation of drinking, and alcohol seeking and high-risk alcohol-related behaviors in young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- John H Hannigan
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States; Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States; C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth & Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States.
| | - Lisa M Chiodo
- College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Robert J Sokol
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States; C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth & Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - James Janisse
- Department of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Virginia Delaney-Black
- Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
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12
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Bordner K, Deak T. Endogenous opioids as substrates for ethanol intake in the neonatal rat: The impact of prenatal ethanol exposure on the opioid family in the early postnatal period. Physiol Behav 2015; 148:100-10. [PMID: 25662024 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Revised: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite considerable knowledge that prenatal ethanol exposure can lead to devastating effects on the developing fetus, alcohol consumption by pregnant women remains strikingly prevalent. Both clinical and basic research has suggested that, in addition to possible physical, behavioral, and cognitive deficits, gestational exposure to alcohol may lead to an increased risk for the development of later alcohol-related use and abuse disorders. The current work sought to characterize alterations in endogenous opioid signaling peptides and gene expression produced by ethanol exposure during the last days of gestation. METHODS Experimental subjects were 4-, 8-, and 12-day old infant rats obtained from pregnant females that were given daily intubations of 0, 1, or 2g/kg ethanol during the last few days of gestation (GDs 17-20). Using real-time RT-PCR, western blotting analysis, and enzyme immunoassays, we examined mRNA and protein for three opioid receptors and ligands in the nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental area, and hypothalamus. RESULTS Three main trends emerged - (1) mRNA for the majority of factors was found to upregulate across each of the three postnatal ages assessed, indicative of escalating ontogenetic expression of opioid-related genes; (2) prenatal ethanol significantly reduced many opioid peptides, suggesting a possible mechanism by which prenatal exposure can affect future responsiveness towards ethanol; and (3) the nucleus accumbens emerged as a key site for ethanol-dependent effects, suggesting a potential target for additional assessment and intervention towards understanding the ethanol's ability to program the developing brain. CONCLUSION We provide a global assessment of relatively long-term changes in both opioid gene expression and protein following exposure to only moderate amounts of ethanol during a relatively short window in the prenatal period. These results suggest that, while continuing to undergo ontogenetic changes, the infant brain is sensitive to prenatal ethanol exposure and that such exposure may lead to relatively long-lasting changes in the endogenous opioid system within the reward circuitry. These data indicate a potential mechanism and target for additional assessments of ethanol's ability to program the brain, affecting later responsiveness towards the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Bordner
- Department of Psychology, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT 06515, United States; Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States.
| | - Terrence Deak
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States; Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center (DEARC), Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States
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Nizhnikov ME, Pautassi RM, Carter JM, Landin JD, Varlinskaya EI, Bordner KA, Werner DF, Spear NE. Brief prenatal ethanol exposure alters behavioral sensitivity to the kappa opioid receptor agonist (U62,066E) and antagonist (Nor-BNI) and reduces kappa opioid receptor expression. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2014; 38:1630-8. [PMID: 24796820 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Approximately 10 to 15% of women consume alcohol (ethanol [EtOH]) during pregnancy in the United States. Even low amounts of EtOH consumption during pregnancy can elicit long-term consequences. Prenatal experience with as few as 3 drinks has been associated with increase problem drinking in adulthood. Such effects are corroborated in rodents; however, the underlying neural adaptations contributing to this effect are not clear. In the current set of experiments, we investigated whether changes in EtOH responding following prenatal EtOH exposure involved kappa opioid receptor activation and expression. METHODS Sprague-Dawley rats were prenatally exposed to low levels of alcohol (1.0 g/kg) during late gestation (gestational days 17 to 20 [GD17-20]) via intragastric intubation of pregnant dams. Following birth, EtOH intake, kappa- and mu-opioid-induced place conditioning, and kappa opioid receptor expression in mesolimbic brain regions were assessed in infant rats (postnatal days 14 to 15 [PD14-15]) that were offspring of dams given EtOH, vehicle, or untreated, during pregnancy. RESULTS Animals exposed to prenatal alcohol drank more alcohol later in life and exhibited significant changes in the kappa opioid system. While control subjects found kappa opioid activation aversive, animals exposed to EtOH prenatally exhibited either no aversion or appetitive responding. Further analysis revealed that synaptosomal kappa opioid receptor expression was significantly decreased in brain areas implicated in responding to EtOH. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these data suggest that prenatal EtOH affects kappa opioid function and expression and that these changes may be involved in increased drinking later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Nizhnikov
- Department of Psychology , Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton, New York
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Miranda-Morales RS, Nizhnikov ME, Spear NE. Prenatal exposure to ethanol during late gestation facilitates operant self-administration of the drug in 5-day-old rats. Alcohol 2014; 48:19-23. [PMID: 24355072 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2013.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2013] [Revised: 11/11/2013] [Accepted: 11/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal ethanol exposure modifies postnatal affinity to the drug, increasing the probability of ethanol use and abuse. The present study tested developing rats (5-day-old) in a novel operant technique to assess the degree of ethanol self-administration as a result of prenatal exposure to low ethanol doses during late gestation. On a single occasion during each of gestational days 17-20, pregnant rats were intragastrically administered ethanol 1 g/kg, or water (vehicle). On postnatal day 5, pups were tested on a novel operant conditioning procedure in which they learned to touch a sensor to obtain 0.1% saccharin, 3% ethanol, or 5% ethanol. Immediately after a 15-min training session, a 6-min extinction session was given in which operant behavior had no consequence. Pups were positioned on a smooth surface and had access to a touch-sensitive sensor. Physical contact with the sensor activated an infusion pump, which served to deliver an intraoral solution as reinforcement (Paired group). A Yoked control animal evaluated at the same time received the reinforcer when its corresponding Paired pup touched the sensor. Operant behavior to gain access to 3% ethanol was facilitated by prenatal exposure to ethanol during late gestation. In contrast, operant learning reflecting ethanol reinforcement did not occur in control animals prenatally exposed to water only. Similarly, saccharin reinforcement was not affected by prenatal ethanol exposure. These results suggest that in 5-day-old rats, prenatal exposure to a low ethanol dose facilitates operant learning reinforced by intraoral administration of a low-concentration ethanol solution. This emphasizes the importance of intrauterine experiences with ethanol in later susceptibility to drug reinforcement. The present operant conditioning technique represents an alternative tool to assess self-administration and seeking behavior during early stages of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Sebastián Miranda-Morales
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA.
| | - Michael E Nizhnikov
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA
| | - Norman E Spear
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA
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