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Alvear TF, Farias-Pasten A, Vergara SA, Prieto-Villalobos J, Silva-Contreras A, Fuenzalida FA, Quintanilla RA, Orellana JA. Hemichannels contribute to mitochondrial Ca 2+ and morphology alterations evoked by ethanol in astrocytes. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1434381. [PMID: 39129788 PMCID: PMC11310047 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1434381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol, a toxic and psychoactive substance with addictive properties, severely impacts life quality, leading to significant health, societal, and economic consequences. Its rapid passage across the blood-brain barrier directly affects different brain cells, including astrocytes. Our recent findings revealed the involvement of pannexin-1 (Panx1) and connexin-43 (Cx43) hemichannels in ethanol-induced astrocyte dysfunction and death. However, whether ethanol influences mitochondrial function and morphology in astrocytes, and the potential role of hemichannels in this process remains poorly understood. Here, we found that ethanol reduced basal mitochondrial Ca2+ but exacerbated thapsigargin-induced mitochondrial Ca2+ dynamics in a concentration-dependent manner, as evidenced by Rhod-2 time-lapse recordings. Similarly, ethanol-treated astrocytes displayed increased mitochondrial superoxide production, as indicated by MitoSox labeling. These effects coincided with reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and increased mitochondrial fragmentation, as determined by MitoRed CMXRos and MitoGreen quantification, respectively. Crucially, inhibiting both Cx43 and Panx1 hemichannels effectively prevented all ethanol-induced mitochondrial abnormalities in astrocytes. We speculate that exacerbated hemichannel activity evoked by ethanol may impair intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis, stressing mitochondrial Ca2+ with potentially damaging consequences for mitochondrial fusion and fission dynamics and astroglial bioenergetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanhia F. Alvear
- Departamento de Neurología, Escuela de Medicina and Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Arantza Farias-Pasten
- Departamento de Neurología, Escuela de Medicina and Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sergio A. Vergara
- Departamento de Neurología, Escuela de Medicina and Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Prieto-Villalobos
- Departamento de Neurología, Escuela de Medicina and Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Antonia Silva-Contreras
- Departamento de Neurología, Escuela de Medicina and Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernando A. Fuenzalida
- Departamento de Neurología, Escuela de Medicina and Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo A. Quintanilla
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Facultad de Ciencias de La Salud, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan A. Orellana
- Departamento de Neurología, Escuela de Medicina and Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Roozen S, Ehrhart F. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and the risk of crime. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 197:197-204. [PMID: 37633710 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821375-9.00013-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are an important preventable global health concern. FASD is an umbrella term describing a range of mild to severe cognitive and behavioral problems among individuals prenatally exposed to alcohol. Alcohol causes FASD by interfering with molecular pathways during fetal development involving increased oxidative stress, disturbed organ development, and change of epigenetic gene expression control. Neuroimaging studies into FASD show several neuropathological abnormalities including abnormal brain structure, cortical development, white matter microstructure, and functional connectivity. Individuals with FASD experience a wide range of cognitive and behavioral challenges. Risks of violent behavior, criminality, and criminalization have been indicated by a limited number of epidemiological studies. The relationship between prenatal alcohol exposure and the increase of these risks remains unclear. This is further impeded by the complexity of an FASD diagnosis, the lack of a clear dose-response relationship of brain impact to alcohol use, and the lack of a clear FASD behavioral phenotype. Literature with respect to FASD and crime is still in its infancy. From the studies available, it is recommended to pay close attention to individuals with FASD and the relation with the criminal justice system and the risk for discrimination. There is a clear need for FASD-related stigma reduction programs within the correctional system. Further investigations into reliable biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Roozen
- Governor Kremers Centre-Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Friederike Ehrhart
- Department of Bioinformatics, NUTRIM/MHeNs, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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D’aloisio G, Acevedo MB, Angulo-Alcalde A, Trujillo V, Molina JC. Moderate ethanol exposure during early ontogeny of the rat alters respiratory plasticity, ultrasonic distress vocalizations, increases brain catalase activity, and acetaldehyde-mediated ethanol intake. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1031115. [DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1031115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Early ontogeny of the rat (late gestation and postnatal first week) is a sensitive period to ethanol’s positive reinforcing effects and its detrimental effects on respiratory plasticity. Recent studies show that acetaldehyde, the first ethanol metabolite, plays a key role in the modulation of ethanol motivational effects. Ethanol brain metabolization into acetaldehyde via the catalase system appears critical in modulating ethanol positive reinforcing consequences. Catalase system activity peak levels occur early in the ontogeny. Yet, the role of ethanol-derived acetaldehyde during the late gestational period on respiration response, ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), and ethanol intake during the first week of the rat remains poorly explored. In the present study, pregnant rats were given a subcutaneous injection of an acetaldehyde-sequestering agent (D-penicillamine, 50 mg/kg) or saline (0.9% NaCl), 30 min prior to an intragastric administration of ethanol (2.0 g/kg) or water (vehicle) on gestational days 17–20. Respiration rates (breaths/min) and apneic episodes in a whole-body plethysmograph were registered on postnatal days (PDs) 2 and 4, while simultaneously pups received milk or ethanol infusions for 40-min in an artificial lactation test. Each intake test was followed by a 5-min long USVs emission record. On PD 8, immediately after pups completed a 15-min ethanol intake test, brain samples were collected and kept frozen for catalase activity determination. Results indicated that a moderate experience with ethanol during the late gestational period disrupted breathing plasticity, increased ethanol intake, as well brain catalase activity. Animals postnatally exposed to ethanol increased their ethanol intake and exerted differential affective reactions on USVs and apneic episodes depending on whether the experience with ethanol occur prenatal or postnatally. Under the present experimental conditions, we failed to observe, a clear role of acetaldehyde mediating ethanol’s effects on respiratory plasticity or affective states, nevertheless gestational acetaldehyde was of crucial importance in determining subsequent ethanol intake affinity. As a whole, results emphasize the importance of considering the participation of acetaldehyde in fetal programming processes derived from a brief moderate ethanol experience early in development, which in turn, argues against “safe or harmless” ethanol levels of exposure.
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Ueno F, Matsushita S, Hara S, Oshima S, Roh S, Ramchandani VA, Mimura M, Uchida H. Influence of alcohol and acetaldehyde on cognitive function: findings from an alcohol clamp study in healthy young adults. Addiction 2022; 117:934-945. [PMID: 34735038 DOI: 10.1111/add.15733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To investigate the acute effects of intravenous alcohol and its metabolite acetaldehyde on cognitive function in healthy individuals. DESIGN Experimental pre-test/post-test design. SETTING Kurihama Medical and Addiction Center, Japan. PARTICIPANTS A total of 298 healthy Japanese people age 20 to 24 years. MEASUREMENTS Participants underwent an intravenous alcohol infusion with a target blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.50 mg/mL for 180 minutes. Participants completed the continuous performance test (CPT) for sustained attention, the paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT) for working memory, and the reaction time test (RTT) for speed/accuracy, along with the blood test for BAC and blood acetaldehyde concentration (BAAC) at baseline, 60 and 180 minutes. FINDINGS Although the target BAC was maintained during the infusion, BAAC peaked at 30 minutes and then gradually declined (η2 = 0.18, P < 0.01). The CPT scores worsened, and the changes between 0 and 60 minutes were correlated with BAAC (correct detection, η2 = 0.09, P < 0.01; r = -0.34, P < 0.01; omission errors, η2 = 0.08, P < 0.01; r = 0.34, P < 0.01). PASAT scores improved through 180 minutes, whereas the changes between 0 and 60 minutes were negatively correlated with BAAC (task one, η2 = 0.02, P < 0.01; r = -0.25, P < 0.01; task two, η2 = 0.03, P < 0.01; r = -0.28, P < 0.01). Although RTTs worsened, they were not associated with BAC or BAAC. None of these comparisons maintained the time effect after controlling for body height. CONCLUSIONS Acetaldehyde exposure following acute intravenous alcohol appears to have a negative impact on sustained attention and working memory, whereas there seems to be only a minor effect of moderate alcohol concentration on speed and accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumihiko Ueno
- National Hospital Organization Kurihama Medical and Addiction Center, Yokosuka, Japan.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Multimodal Imaging Group, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sachio Matsushita
- National Hospital Organization Kurihama Medical and Addiction Center, Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Sachiko Hara
- National Hospital Organization Kurihama Medical and Addiction Center, Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Shunji Oshima
- Core Technology Laboratories, Asahi Quality & Innovations, Ltd., Moriya, Japan
| | - Sungwon Roh
- Department of Psychiatry, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Vijay A Ramchandani
- Section on Human Psychopharmacology, Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Masaru Mimura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Uchida
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Matsumura Y, Li N, Alwaseem H, Pagovich OE, Crystal RG, Greenblatt MB, Stiles KM. Systemic Adeno-Associated Virus-Mediated Gene Therapy Prevents the Multiorgan Disorders Associated with Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 Deficiency and Chronic Ethanol Ingestion. Hum Gene Ther 2020; 31:163-182. [PMID: 31801381 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2019.268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Aldehyde dehydrogenase type 2 (ALDH2), a key enzyme in ethanol metabolism, processes toxic acetaldehyde to nontoxic acetate. ALDH2 deficiency affects 8% of the world population and 35-45% of East Asians. The ALDH2*2 allele common genetic variant has a glutamic acid-to-lysine substitution at position 487 (E487K) that reduces the oxidizing ability of the enzyme resulting in systemic accumulation of acetaldehyde with ethanol ingestion. With chronic ethanol ingestion, mutations in ALDH2 are associated with a variety of hematological, neurological, and dermatological abnormalities, and an increased risk for esophageal cancer and osteoporosis. Based on our prior studies demonstrating that a one-time administration of an adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype rh.10 gene transfer vector expressing the human ALDH2 cDNA (AAVrh.10hALDH2) prevents the acute effects of ethanol administration (the "Asian flush syndrome"), we hypothesized that AAVrh.10hALDH2 would also prevent the chronic disorders associated with ALDH2 deficiency and chronic ethanol ingestion. To assess this hypothesis, AAVrh.10hALDH2 (1011 genome copies) was administered intravenously to two models of ALDH2 deficiency, Aldh2 knockout homozygous (Aldh2-/-) and knockin homozygous (Aldh2E487K+/+) mice (n = 10 per group). Four weeks after vector administration, mice were given drinking water with 10-15% ethanol for 12 weeks. Strikingly, compared with nonethanol drinking littermates, AAVrh.10hALDH2 administration prevented chronic ethanol-induced serum acetaldehyde accumulation and elevated liver malondialdehyde levels, loss of body weight, reduced hemoglobin levels, reduced performance in locomotor activity tests, accumulation of esophageal DNA damage and DNA adducts, and development of osteopenia. AAVrh.10hALDH2 should be considered as a preventative therapy for the increased risk of chronic disorders associated with ALDH2 deficiency and chronic alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Matsumura
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Na Li
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Hanan Alwaseem
- Proteomics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Odelya E Pagovich
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Ronald G Crystal
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Matthew B Greenblatt
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
- Research Division, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York
| | - Katie M Stiles
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
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6
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Ito A, Jamal M, Ameno K, Tanaka N, Takakura A, Kawamoto T, Kitagawa K, Nakayama K, Matsumoto A, Miki T, Kinoshita H. Acetaldehyde administration induces salsolinol formation in vivo in the dorsal striatum of Aldh2-knockout and C57BL/6N mice. Neurosci Lett 2018; 685:50-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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7
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Soso SB, Koziel JA. Characterizing the scent and chemical composition of Panthera leo marking fluid using solid-phase microextraction and multidimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5137. [PMID: 28698649 PMCID: PMC5506057 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04973-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Lions (Panthera leo) use chemical signaling to indicate health, reproductive status, and territorial ownership. To date, no study has reported on both scent and composition of marking fluid (MF) from P. leo. The objectives of this study were to: 1) develop a novel method for simultaneous chemical and scent identification of lion MF in its totality (urine + MF), 2) identify characteristic odorants responsible for the overall scent of MF as perceived by human panelists, and 3) compare the existing library of known odorous compounds characterized as eliciting behaviors in animals in order to understand potential functionality in lion behavior. Solid-phase microextraction and simultaneous chemical-sensory analyses with multidimensional gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry improved separating, isolating, and identifying mixed (MF, urine) compounds versus solvent-based extraction and chemical analyses. 2,5-Dimethylpyrazine, 4-methylphenol, and 3-methylcyclopentanone were isolated and identified as the compounds responsible for the characteristic odor of lion MF. Twenty-eight volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from MF were identified, adding a new list of compounds previously unidentified in lion urine. New chemicals were identified in nine compound groups: ketones, aldehydes, amines, alcohols, aromatics, sulfur-containing compounds, phenyls, phenols, and volatile fatty acids. Twenty-three VOCs are known semiochemicals that are implicated in attraction, reproduction, and alarm-signaling behaviors in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone B Soso
- Iowa State University, Environmental Science Graduate Program, Ames, IA, 50011, United States of America.,Iowa State University, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Ames, IA, 50011, United States of America
| | - Jacek A Koziel
- Iowa State University, Environmental Science Graduate Program, Ames, IA, 50011, United States of America. .,Iowa State University, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Ames, IA, 50011, United States of America.
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8
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Peana AT, Sánchez-Catalán MJ, Hipólito L, Rosas M, Porru S, Bennardini F, Romualdi P, Caputi FF, Candeletti S, Polache A, Granero L, Acquas E. Mystic Acetaldehyde: The Never-Ending Story on Alcoholism. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:81. [PMID: 28553209 PMCID: PMC5425597 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
After decades of uncertainties and drawbacks, the study on the role and significance of acetaldehyde in the effects of ethanol seemed to have found its main paths. Accordingly, the effects of acetaldehyde, after its systemic or central administration and as obtained following ethanol metabolism, looked as they were extensively characterized. However, almost 5 years after this research appeared at its highest momentum, the investigations on this topic have been revitalized on at least three main directions: (1) the role and the behavioral significance of acetaldehyde in different phases of ethanol self-administration and in voluntary ethanol consumption; (2) the distinction, in the central effects of ethanol, between those arising from its non-metabolized fraction and those attributable to ethanol-derived acetaldehyde; and (3) the role of the acetaldehyde-dopamine condensation product, salsolinol. The present review article aims at presenting and discussing prospectively the most recent data accumulated following these three research pathways on this never-ending story in order to offer the most up-to-date synoptic critical view on such still unresolved and exciting topic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - María J. Sánchez-Catalán
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of ValenciaValència, Spain
| | - Lucia Hipólito
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of ValenciaValència, Spain
| | - Michela Rosas
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of CagliariCagliari, Italy
| | - Simona Porru
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of CagliariCagliari, Italy
| | | | - Patrizia Romualdi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of BolognaBologna, Italy
| | - Francesca F. Caputi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of BolognaBologna, Italy
| | - Sanzio Candeletti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of BolognaBologna, Italy
| | - Ana Polache
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of ValenciaValència, Spain
| | - Luis Granero
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of ValenciaValència, Spain
| | - Elio Acquas
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of CagliariCagliari, Italy
- Centre of Excellence on Neurobiology of Addiction, University of CagliariCagliari, Italy
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9
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Brancato A, Lavanco G, Cavallaro A, Plescia F, Cannizzaro C. Acetaldehyde, Motivation and Stress: Behavioral Evidence of an Addictive ménage à trois. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:23. [PMID: 28232795 PMCID: PMC5299001 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetaldehyde (ACD) contributes to alcohol's psychoactive effects through its own rewarding properties. Recent studies shed light on the behavioral correlates of ACD administration and the possible interactions with key neurotransmitters for motivation, reward and stress-related response, such as dopamine and endocannabinoids. This mini review article critically examines ACD psychoactive properties, focusing on behavioral investigations able to unveil ACD motivational effects and their pharmacological modulation in vivo. Similarly to alcohol, rats spontaneously drink ACD, whose presence is detected in the brain following chronic self-administration paradigm. ACD motivational properties are demonstrated by operant paradigms tailored to model several drug-related behaviors, such as induction and maintenance of operant self-administration, extinction, relapse and punishment resistance. ACD-related addictive-like behaviors are sensitive to pharmacological manipulations of dopamine and endocannabinoid signaling. Interestingly, the ACD-dopamine-endocannabinoids relationship also contributes to neuroplastic alterations of the NPYergic system, a stress-related peptide critically involved in alcohol abuse. The understanding of the ménage-a-trois among ACD, reward- and stress-related circuits holds promising potential for the development of novel pharmacological approaches aimed at reducing alcohol abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Brancato
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo Palermo, Italy
| | - Gianluca Lavanco
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo Palermo, Italy
| | - Angela Cavallaro
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo Palermo, Italy
| | - Fulvio Plescia
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo Palermo, Italy
| | - Carla Cannizzaro
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo Palermo, Italy
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10
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Khalin I, Alyautdin R, Wong TW, Gnanou J, Kocherga G, Kreuter J. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor delivered to the brain using poly (lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles improves neurological and cognitive outcome in mice with traumatic brain injury. Drug Deliv 2016; 23:3520-3528. [PMID: 27278330 DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2016.1199609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death or disabilities in young individuals worldwide. The multi-complexity of its pathogenesis as well as impermeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) makes the drug choice and delivery very challenging. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates neuronal plasticity, neuronal cell growth, proliferation, cell survival and long-term memory. However, its short half-life and low BBB permeability are the main hurdles to be an effective therapeutic for TBI. Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles coated by surfactant can enable the delivery of a variety of molecules across the BBB by receptor-mediated transcytosis. This study examines the ability of PLGA nanoparticles coated with poloxamer 188 (PX) to deliver BDNF into the brain and neuroprotective effects of BNDF in mice with TBI. C57bl/6 mice were subjected to weight-drop closed head injuries under anesthesia. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we demonstrated that the intravenous (IV) injection of nanoparticle-bound BDNF coated by PX (NP-BDNF-PX) significantly increased BDNF levels in the brain of sham-operated mice (p < 0.001) and in both ipsi- (p < 0.001) and contralateral (p < 0.001) parts of brain in TBI mice compared to controls. This study also showed using the passive avoidance (PA) test, that IV injection of NP-BDNF-PX 3 h post-injury prolonged the latent time in mice with TBI thereby reversing cognitive deficits caused by brain trauma. Finally, neurological severity score test demonstrated that our compound efficiently reduced the scores at day 7 after the injury indicating the improvement of neurological deficit in animals with TBI. This study shows that PLGA nanoparticles coated with PX effectively delivered BDNF into the brain, and improved neurological and cognitive deficits in TBI mice, thereby providing a neuroprotective effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Khalin
- a Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health , National Defence University of Malaysia , Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia
| | - Renad Alyautdin
- b Scientific Centre for Expertise of Medical Application Products , Moscow , Russia
| | - Tin Wui Wong
- c iPROMISE, Non-Destructive Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Centre, Universiti Teknologi MARA , Selangor , Malaysia
| | - Justin Gnanou
- a Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health , National Defence University of Malaysia , Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia
| | - Ganna Kocherga
- d Ophthalmic Microsurgery Department, International Medical Center Oftalmika , Kharkiv , Ukraine , and
| | - Jörg Kreuter
- e Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Goethe University , Frankfurt , Germany
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11
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Acetaldehyde self-administration by a two-bottle choice paradigm: consequences on emotional reactivity, spatial learning, and memory. Alcohol 2015; 49:139-48. [PMID: 25636827 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2015.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Acetaldehyde, the first alcohol metabolite, is responsible for many pharmacological effects that are not clearly distinguishable from those exerted by its parent compound. It alters motor performance, induces reinforced learning and motivated behavior, and produces different reactions according to the route of administration and the relative accumulation in the brain or in the periphery. The effective activity of oral acetaldehyde represents an unresolved field of inquiry that deserves further investigation. Thus, this study explores the acquisition and maintenance of acetaldehyde drinking behavior in adult male rats, employing a two-bottle choice paradigm for water and acetaldehyde solution (from 0.9% to 3.2% v/v), over 8 weeks. The behavioral consequences exerted by chronic acetaldehyde intake are assessed by a set of different tests: trials in an open-field arena and elevated-plus maze provided information on both general motor and explorative activity, and anxiety-driven behavioral responses. The Morris water maze allowed the exploration of cognitive processes such as spatial learning and memory. Determination of acetaldehyde levels in the brain was carried out at the end of the drinking paradigm. Our results indicate that rats exposed for the first time to acetaldehyde at 0.9% displayed a regular and stable daily drinking pattern that reached higher values and a "peaks and drops" shaped-trend when acetaldehyde concentration was increased to 3.2%. Accordingly, an increase in acetaldehyde levels in the brain was determined compared to non-acetaldehyde drinking rats. Acetaldehyde intake during the free-choice paradigm exerted an anxiogenic response in the open-field arena and elevated-plus maze, which in turn correlates with an enhancement in cognitive flexibility and spatial orientation skills, when an adaptive response to a stressful environmental challenge was required. These findings further support the idea that acetaldehyde is indeed a centrally active and behaviorally relevant metabolite of alcohol.
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12
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Tarragon E, Baliño P, Aragon CMG. Centrally formed acetaldehyde mediates ethanol-induced brain PKA activation. Neurosci Lett 2014; 580:68-73. [PMID: 25093700 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2014.07.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2014] [Revised: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Centrally formed acetaldehyde has proven to be responsible for several psychopharmacological effects induced by ethanol. In addition, it has been suggested that the cAMP-PKA signaling transduction pathway plays an important role in the modulation of several ethanol-induced behaviors. Therefore, we hypothesized that acetaldehyde might be ultimately responsible for the activation of this intracellular pathway. We used three pharmacological agents that modify acetaldehyde activity (α-lipoic acid, aminotriazole, and d-penicillamine) to study the role of this metabolite on EtOH-induced PKA activation in mice. Our results show that the injection of α-lipoic acid, aminotriazole and d-penicillamine prior to acute EtOH administration effectively blocks the PKA-enhanced response to EtOH in the brain. These results strongly support the hypothesis of a selective release of acetaldehyde-dependent Ca(2+) as the mechanism involved in the neurobehavioral effects elicited by EtOH.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Tarragon
- Área de Psicobiología, Universitat Jaume I, Castellon de la Plana, Spain
| | - P Baliño
- Área de Psicobiología, Universitat Jaume I, Castellon de la Plana, Spain
| | - C M G Aragon
- Área de Psicobiología, Universitat Jaume I, Castellon de la Plana, Spain.
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Porcu P, Locci A, Santoru F, Berretti R, Morrow AL, Concas A. Failure of acute ethanol administration to alter cerebrocortical and hippocampal allopregnanolone levels in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2014; 38:948-58. [PMID: 24428156 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ethanol (EtOH) administration increases brain allopregnanolone levels in rats, and this increase contributes to sensitivity to EtOH's behavioral effects. However, EtOH's effects on allopregnanolone may differ across species. We investigated the effects of acute EtOH administration on allopregnanolone, progesterone, and corticosterone levels in cerebral cortex and hippocampus of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice, 2 inbred strains with different alcohol sensitivity. METHODS Naïve male C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice received EtOH (1, 2, 3, or 4 g/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p.]) or saline and were euthanized 1 hour later. For the time-course study, mice received EtOH (2 g/kg, i.p.) and were euthanized 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes later. Steroids were measured by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS Acute EtOH administration did not alter cerebrocortical and hippocampal levels of allopregnanolone and progesterone in these strains at any of the doses and time points examined. Acute EtOH dose-dependently increased cerebrocortical corticosterone levels by 319, 347, and 459% in C57BL/6J mice at the doses of 2, 3, and 4 g/kg, and by 371, 507, 533, and 692% in DBA/2J mice at the doses of 1, 2, 3, and 4 g/kg, respectively. Similar changes were observed in the hippocampus. EtOH's effects on cerebrocortical corticosterone levels were also time dependent in both strains. Moreover, acute EtOH administration time-dependently increased plasma levels of progesterone and corticosterone. Finally, morphine administration increased cerebrocortical allopregnanolone levels in C57BL/6J (+77, +93, and +88% at 5, 10, and 30 mg/kg, respectively) and DBA/2J mice (+81% at 5 mg/kg), suggesting that the impairment in brain neurosteroidogenesis may be specific to EtOH. CONCLUSIONS These results underline important species differences on EtOH-induced brain neurosteroidogenesis. Acute EtOH increases brain and plasma corticosterone levels but does not alter cerebrocortical and hippocampal concentrations of allopregnanolone and progesterone in naïve C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Porcu
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
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Matsushita S, Higuchi S. Genetic differences in response to alcohol. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2014; 125:617-27. [PMID: 25307600 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-62619-6.00036-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The level of response to alcohol, which reflects individual differences in sensitivity to the pharmacologic effects of alcohol, is considered to be an important endophenotype of alcohol use disorder (AUD). By comparing monozygotic and dizygotic twins, the heritability of the level of response to alcohol has been estimated to be 60%. Many genes have been implicated as potential contributors toward heavy drinking, alcohol-related problems, and AUD through a low level of response to alcohol, each with a small effect. Identified are genes for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, serotonin transporter, opioid receptor, and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, but the most well-characterized genes that have a strong impact on the level of response to alcohol are those for alcohol-metabolizing enzymes. Although two genetic variations in alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases, which have been the most intensively studied, exist almost exclusively in Asian populations, studies on the effect of genetic variations in alcohol-metabolizing enzymes on the response to alcohol are gradually expanding in non-Asian populations. In this chapter, we focus on genetic studies in humans. After analyzing the overall influence of genetic factors on the response to alcohol, we explore individual genes that may influence the response to alcohol. Lastly, we review studies examining the effects of genetic variations in alcohol-metabolizing enzymes on the level of response to alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachio Matsushita
- National Hospital Organization, Kurihama Medical and Addiction Center, Kanagawa, Japan.
| | - Susumu Higuchi
- National Hospital Organization, Kurihama Medical and Addiction Center, Kanagawa, Japan
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Modulation of ethanol-induced conditioned place preference in mice by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole and D-penicillamine depends on ethanol dose and number of conditioning trials. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2013; 230:557-68. [PMID: 23832421 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3177-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2012] [Accepted: 06/06/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that both 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (AT), which inhibits metabolism of ethanol (EtOH) to acetaldehyde by inhibiting catalase, and D-penicillamine (D-P), an acetaldehyde-sequestering agent, modulate EtOH-conditioned place preference (CPP) in male albino Swiss (IOPS Orl) mice. These studies followed a reference-dose-like procedure, which involves comparing cues that have both been paired with EtOH. However, the role of EtOH-derived acetaldehyde has not been examined using a standard CPP method, and efficacy of these treatments could be different under the two circumstances. In the present investigation, we manipulated the strength of CPP across five separate studies and evaluated the effect of D-P and AT on EtOH-induced CPP following a standard unbiased CPP procedure. Mice received pairings with vehicle-saline injections with one cue and, alternatively, with AT- and D-P-EtOH with another cue. Our studies indicate that AT and D-P only disrupt CPP induced by EtOH in mice when the number of conditioning sessions and the dose of EtOH are low. These findings suggest that acquisition of EtOH-induced CPP may depend on the levels of acetaldehyde available during memory acquisition and the strength of the memory. Therefore, we propose that, at least when the memory processes are labile, brain acetaldehyde could participate in the formation of Pavlovian learning elicited by EtOH.
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Deehan GA, Hauser SR, Wilden JA, Truitt WA, Rodd ZA. Elucidating the biological basis for the reinforcing actions of alcohol in the mesolimbic dopamine system: the role of active metabolites of alcohol. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:104. [PMID: 23986666 PMCID: PMC3750600 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2013] [Accepted: 07/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of successful pharmacotherapeutics for the treatment of alcoholism is predicated upon understanding the biological action of alcohol. A limitation of the alcohol research field has been examining the effects of alcohol only and ignoring the multiple biological active metabolites of alcohol. The concept that alcohol is a "pro-drug" is not new. Alcohol is readily metabolized to acetaldehyde within the brain. Acetaldehyde is a highly reactive compound that forms a number of condensation products, including salsolinol and iso-salsolinol (acetaldehyde and dopamine). Recent experiments have established that numerous metabolites of alcohol have direct CNS action, and could, in part or whole, mediate the reinforcing actions of alcohol within the mesolimbic dopamine system. The mesolimbic dopamine system originates in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and projects to forebrain regions that include the nucleus accumbens (Acb) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and is thought to be the neurocircuitry governing the rewarding properties of drugs of abuse. Within this neurocircuitry there is convincing evidence that; (1) biologically active metabolites of alcohol can directly or indirectly increase the activity of VTA dopamine neurons, (2) alcohol and alcohol metabolites are reinforcing within the mesolimbic dopamine system, (3) inhibiting the alcohol metabolic pathway inhibits the biological consequences of alcohol exposure, (4) alcohol consumption can be reduced by inhibiting/attenuating the alcohol metabolic pathway in the mesolimbic dopamine system, (5) alcohol metabolites can alter neurochemical levels within the mesolimbic dopamine system, and (6) alcohol interacts with alcohol metabolites to enhance the actions of both compounds. The data indicate that there is a positive relationship between alcohol and alcohol metabolites in regulating the biological consequences of consuming alcohol and the potential of alcohol use escalating to alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald A Deehan
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University, School of Medicine Indianapolis, IN, USA
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Tokuda K, Izumi Y, Zorumski CF. Locally-generated Acetaldehyde Contributes to the Effects of Ethanol on Neurosteroids and LTP in the Hippocampus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 1:138-147. [PMID: 24455167 DOI: 10.1111/ncn3.39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As severe alcohol intoxication impairs memory function, a high concentration of ethanol (60 mM) acutely inhibits long-term potentiation (LTP), a cellular model of learning and memory, in rat hippocampal slices. Neurosteroids are involved in this LTP inhibition. We recently reported that the inhibitory effects of 60 mM ethanol are blocked by 4-methylpyrazole (4MP), an inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase, suggesting that acetaldehyde locally generated within the hippocampus participates in LTP inhibition. AIM We investigated whether acetaldehyde generated by ethanol metabolism contributes to neurosteroidogenesis and LTP inhibition. RESULTS Like 60 mM ethanol, we found that exogenous acetaldehyde enhanced neurosteroid immunostaining in CA1 pyramidal neurons, and that augmented neurosteroid immunostaining by high ethanol alone was blocked by 4MP but not by inhibitors of other ethanol metabolism pathways. The inhibitory effects of 60 mM ethanol on LTP were mimicked by a lower concentration of ethanol (20 mM) plus acetaldehyde (60 μM), although neither agent alone was effective at these concentrations, suggesting that 60 mM ethanol inhibits LTP via multiple actions, one of which involves acetaldehyde and the other of which requires only 20 mM ethanol. The effects of ethanol and acetaldehyde on neurosteroid staining and LTP were overcome by inhibition of neurosteroid synthesis and by blockade of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). CONCLUSION These observations indicate that acetaldehyde generated by local ethanol metabolism within the hippocampus serves as a signal for neurosteroid synthesis in pyramidal neurons, and participates in the synaptic dysfunction associated with severe alcohol intoxication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiro Tokuda
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Yukitoshi Izumi
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110 ; The Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Charles F Zorumski
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110 ; Department of Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110 ; The Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110
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March SM, Culleré ME, Abate P, Hernández JI, Spear NE, Molina JC. Acetaldehyde reinforcement and motor reactivity in newborns with or without a prenatal history of alcohol exposure. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:69. [PMID: 23785319 PMCID: PMC3683627 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal models have shown that early ontogeny seems to be a period of enhanced affinity to ethanol. Interestingly, the catalase system that transforms ethanol (EtOH) into acetaldehyde (ACD) in the brain, is more active in the perinatal rat compared to adults. ACD has been found to share EtOH's behavioral effects. The general purpose of the present study was to assess ACD motivational and motor effects in newborn rats as a function of prenatal exposure to EtOH. Experiment 1 evaluated if ACD (0.35 μmol) or EtOH (0.02 μmol) supported appetitive conditioning in newborn pups prenatally exposed to EtOH. Experiment 2 tested if prenatal alcohol exposure modulated neonatal susceptibility to ACD's motor effects (ACD dose: 0, 0.35 and 0.52 μmol). Experiment 1 showed that EtOH and ACD supported appetitive conditioning independently of prenatal treatments. In Experiment 2, latency to display motor activity was altered only in neonates prenatally treated with water and challenged with the highest ACD dose. Prenatal EtOH experience results in tolerance to ACD's motor activity effects. These results show early susceptibility to ACD's appetitive effects and attenuation of motor effects as a function of prenatal history with EtOH, within a stage in development where brain ACD production seems higher than later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samanta M March
- Laboratorio de Alcohol, Ontogenia y Desarrollo, Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra Córdoba, Argentina ; Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Cátedra Psicobiología Experimental Córdoba, Argentina
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Ledesma JC, Aragon CMG. Acquisition and reconditioning of ethanol-induced conditioned place preference in mice is blocked by the H₂O₂ scavenger alpha lipoic acid. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2013; 226:673-85. [PMID: 22885873 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-012-2831-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2012] [Accepted: 07/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is the co-substrate used by catalase to metabolize ethanol to acetaldehyde in the brain. This centrally formed acetaldehyde has been involved in several ethanol-related behaviors. OBJECTIVES The present research evaluated the effect of the H2O2 scavenger, alpha lipoic acid (LA), on the acquisition and reconditioning of ethanol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). METHODS Mice received pairings of a distinctive floor stimulus (CS+) associated with intraperitoneal injections of ethanol (2.5 g/kg). On alternate days, animals received pairings of a different floor stimulus (CS-) associated with saline injections. A different group of animals received pairings with the (CS-) associated with saline injections, and on alternate days they received LA (100 mg/kg) injected 30 min prior to ethanol (2.5 g/kg) administration paired with the (CS+). A preference test assessed the effect of LA on the acquisition of ethanol-induced CPP. A similar procedure was followed to study the effect of LA on the acquisition of cocaine- and morphine-induced CPP. A separate experiment evaluated the effect of LA on the reconditioning of ethanol-induced CPP. In addition, we investigated the consequence of LA administration on central H2O2 levels. RESULTS LA selectively blocked the acquisition of ethanol-induced CPP. Moreover, this compound impaired the reconditioning of ethanol-induced CPP. Additionally, we found that LA diminished H2O2 levels in the brain. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that a decline in H2O2 availability by LA might impede the formation of brain ethanol-derived acetaldehyde by catalase, which results in an impairment of the rewarding properties of ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Ledesma
- Area de Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Avenida Sos Baynat s/n, 12071, Castellón, Spain
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Heit C, Dong H, Chen Y, Thompson DC, Deitrich RA, Vasiliou VK. The role of CYP2E1 in alcohol metabolism and sensitivity in the central nervous system. Subcell Biochem 2013; 67:235-47. [PMID: 23400924 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-5881-0_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Ethanol consumption has effects on the central nervous system (CNS), manifesting as motor incoordination, sleep induction (hypnosis), anxiety, amnesia, and the reinforcement or aversion of alcohol consumption. Acetaldehyde (the direct metabolite of ethanol oxidation) contributes to many aspects of the behavioral effects of ethanol. Given acetaldehyde cannot pass through the blood brain barrier, its concentration in the CNS is primarily determined by local production from ethanol. Catalase and cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) represent the major enzymes in the CNS that catalyze ethanol oxidation. CYP2E1 is expressed abundantly within the microsomes of certain brain cells and is localized to particular brain regions. This chapter focuses on the discussion of CYP2E1 in ethanol metabolism in the CNS, covering topics including how it is regulated, where it is expressed and how it influences sensitivity to ethanol in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Heit
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
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Orrù A, Fujani D, Cassina C, Conti M, Di Clemente A, Cervo L. Operant, oral alcoholic beer self-administration by C57BL/6J mice: effect of BHF177, a positive allosteric modulator of GABA(B) receptors. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2012; 222:685-700. [PMID: 22411427 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-012-2672-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2011] [Accepted: 02/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE With its high palatability, near-beer has been successfully used in rats as a vehicle to induce ethanol oral self-administration. OBJECTIVES The study aimed to develop an operant model of oral alcoholic beer self-administration promoting a stable intake of pharmacologically relevant amounts of ethanol in free-feeding C57BL/6J mice. It also aimed to assess the model's predictive validity by evaluating the influence of baclofen, a GABA(B) agonist, and BHF177, a GABA(B) positive allosteric modulator, on alcoholic beer self-administration. METHODS Mice were trained to self-administer, under a fixed ratio three schedule of reinforcement, 10 μl of beer containing increasing ethanol concentrations (0-18% v/v) in daily 30-min sessions. The effects on motor coordination (rotarod), locomotor activity (open field, automated cages) and anxiety-like behavior (elevated plus maze, EPM) were examined. Baclofen (1.25-5 mg/kg, intraperitoneal, i.p.) and BHF177 (3.75-30 mg/kg, i.p.) were used to see the effects on 9% alcoholic beer and near-beer self-administration. RESULTS Near-beer stably maintained operant oral self-administration in mice. Adding ethanol to near-beer reduced the number of active lever presses, while the corresponding amount of ethanol self-administration increased (0.8-1.0 g/kg/session). Motor impairment was observed when more than 1.3 g/kg/session of ethanol was self-administered with beer and slight but consistent hyperlocomotion with more than 0.9-1.0 g/kg/session. BHF177 (15 mg/kg) preferentially reduced 9% alcoholic beer self-administration, while the higher dose (30 mg/kg)-like baclofen 5 mg/kg-also reduced near-beer self-administration. CONCLUSIONS The operant model of oral alcoholic beer self-administration in C57BL/6J mice should prove useful for studying ethanol-reinforced behaviors and to identify candidate compounds for the pharmacological management of alcohol addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Orrù
- Experimental Psychopharmacology, Department of Neuroscience, "Mario Negri" Institute for Pharmacological Research, Via La Masa 19, 20156 Milan, Italy.
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Jamal M, Ameno K, Miki T, Tanaka N, Ono J, Shirakami G, Sultana R, Yu N, Kinoshita H. High ethanol and acetaldehyde impair spatial memory in mouse models: Opposite effects of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 and apolipoprotein E on memory. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2012; 101:443-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2012.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2011] [Revised: 02/07/2012] [Accepted: 02/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Ledesma JC, Aragon CMG. α-Lipoic acid, a scavenging agent for H₂O₂, reduces ethanol-stimulated locomotion in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2012; 219:171-80. [PMID: 21769567 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-011-2407-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2011] [Accepted: 06/13/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The main system of central ethanol oxidation is mediated by the enzyme catalase. By reacting with H(2)O(2), brain catalase forms compound I (the catalase-H(2)O(2) system), which is able to oxidize ethanol to acetaldehyde in the brain. Previous studies have demonstrated that pharmacological manipulations of brain catalase activity modulate the stimulant effects of ethanol in mice. However, the role of H(2)O(2) in the behavioral effects of ethanol has not yet been clearly addressed. OBJECTIVES In the present study, we investigated the effects of alpha-lipoic acid (LA), a scavenging agent for H(2)O(2), on ethanol-induced locomotor stimulation. METHODS CD-1 mice were pretreated with LA [0-100 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (IP)] 0-60 min prior to administration of ethanol (0-3.75 g/kg, IP). In another experiment, animals were pretreated with LA (0, 25, or 50 mg/kg, IP) 30 min before cocaine (10 mg/kg, IP), amphetamine (2 mg/kg, IP), or caffeine (25 mg/kg, IP). After these treatments the animals were placed in an open-field chamber and their locomotor activity was measured for 20 min. RESULTS LA 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg IP prevented ethanol-induced locomotor stimulation. LA did not affect the locomotor-stimulating effects of cocaine, amphetamine, and caffeine. Additionally, we demonstrated that LA prevents the inactivation of brain catalase by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, thus indicating that H(2)O(2) levels are reduced by LA. CONCLUSIONS These data support the idea that a decrease in cerebral H(2)O(2) production by LA administration inhibits ethanol-stimulated locomotion. This study suggests that the brain catalase-H(2)O(2) system, and by implication centrally formed acetaldehyde, plays a key role in the psychopharmacological effects of ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Ledesma
- Area de Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat s/n, 12071 Castellón de la Plana, Spain
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Correa M, Salamone JD, Segovia KN, Pardo M, Longoni R, Spina L, Peana AT, Vinci S, Acquas E. Piecing together the puzzle of acetaldehyde as a neuroactive agent. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2012; 36:404-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2011] [Revised: 07/14/2011] [Accepted: 07/21/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Escrig MA, Pardo M, Aragon CM, Correa M. Anxiogenic and stress-inducing effects of peripherally administered acetaldehyde in mice: similarities with the disulfiram-ethanol reaction. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2011; 100:404-12. [PMID: 22005600 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2011.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2011] [Revised: 09/21/2011] [Accepted: 10/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Peripheral accumulation of acetaldehyde, the first metabolite of ethanol, produces autonomic responses in humans called "flushing". The aversive characteristics of flushing observed in some populations with an isoform of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) less active, are the basis for treating alcoholics with disulfiram, an ALDH inhibitor. Although ethanol and centrally formed acetaldehyde have anxiolytic effects, peripheral accumulation of acetaldehyde may be aversive in part because it is anxiogenic. OBJECTIVES We investigated the effect of direct administration of acetaldehyde on behavioral measures of anxiety and on hormonal markers of stress in mice. The impact of disulfiram on the anxiolytic actions of ethanol was evaluated. Acetate (a metabolite of acetaldehyde) was also studied. METHODS CD1 male mice received acetaldehyde (0, 25, 50, 75 or 100 mg/kg) at different time intervals and were assessed in the elevated plus maze and in the dark-light box. Corticosterone release after acetaldehyde administration was also assessed. Additional experiments evaluated the impact of disulfiram on the anxiolytic effect of ethanol (0 or 1 mg/kg), and the effect of acetate on the plus maze. RESULTS Direct administration of acetaldehyde (100 mg/kg) had an anxiogenic effect at 1, 11 or 26 min after IP administration. Acetaldehyde was ten times more potent than ethanol at inducing corticosterone release. Disulfiram did not affect behavior on its own, but blocked the anxiolytic effect of ethanol at doses of 30 and 60 mg/kg, and had an anxiogenic effect at the highest dose (90 mg/kg) when co-administered with ethanol. Acetate did not affect any of the anxiety parameters. CONCLUSIONS Peripheral administration or accumulation of acetaldehyde produces anxiogenic effects and induces endocrine stress responses. This effect is not mediated by its metabolite acetate.
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Vinci S, Ibba F, Longoni R, Spina L, Spiga S, Acquas E. Acetaldehyde elicits ERK phosphorylation in the rat nucleus accumbens and extended amygdala. Synapse 2011; 64:916-27. [PMID: 20506324 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances suggest that acetaldehyde mediates some of the neurobiological properties of ethanol. In a recent study, we have shown that ethanol elicits the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pERK) in the nucleus accumbens and extended amygdala, via a dopamine D(1) receptor-mediated mechanism. The aim of this study was to determine whether acetaldehyde and ethanol-derived acetaldehyde elicit the activation of ERK in the nucleus accumbens and extended amygdala. The effects of acetaldehyde (10 and 20 mg/kg) and ethanol (1 g/kg), administered to rats intragastrically, were assessed by pERK peroxidase immunohistochemistry. To establish the role of ethanol-derived acetaldehyde, the alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor, 4-methylpyrazole (90 mg/kg), and the acetaldehyde-sequestering agent, D-penicillamine (50 mg/kg), were administered before ethanol. Acetaldehyde increased pERK immunoreactivity in the nucleus accumbens and extended amygdala. Inhibition of ethanol metabolism and sequestration of newly synthesized acetaldehyde completely prevented ERK activation by ethanol. In addition, to establish the role of D(1) receptors stimulation in acetaldehyde-elicited ERK phosphorylation, we studied the effect of the D(1) receptor antagonist, SCH 39166. Pretreatment with the D(1) receptor antagonist (50 μg/kg) fully prevented acetaldehyde-elicited ERK activation. Overall, these results indicate that ethanol activates ERK by means of its metabolic conversion into acetaldehyde and strengthen the view that acetaldehyde is a centrally acting compound with a pharmacological profile similar to ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Vinci
- Department of Toxicology, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
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Sarc L, Wraber B, Lipnik-Stangelj M. Ethanol and acetaldehyde disturb TNF-alpha and IL-6 production in cultured astrocytes. Hum Exp Toxicol 2010; 30:1256-65. [PMID: 21056952 DOI: 10.1177/0960327110388533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Ethanol disturbs astroglial growth and differentiation and causes functional alterations. Furthermore, many signalling molecules produced by astrocytes contribute to these processes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of ethanol and its primary metabolite, acetaldehyde, on TNF-alpha and IL-6 production in a rat cortical astrocyte primary culture. We are the first to report that both ethanol and acetaldehyde can modulate TNF-alpha and IL-6 secretion from cultured astrocytes. Long-term exposure (7 days) to ethanol and acetaldehyde was more toxic than an acute (24 hours) exposure. However, both compounds showed a biphasic, hormestic effect on the IL-6 secretion after the acute as well as the long-term exposure, and the maximum stimulation was reached for 50-mM ethanol and 1-mM acetaldehyde after 7-day exposure. In contrast, both compounds reduced the TNF-alpha secretion, where the effect was concentration-dependent. The catalase inhibitor 2-amino-1,2,4 triazole significantly reduced the ethanol toxicity in the cultured astrocytes after the acute as well as the long-term exposure. In conclusion, both ethanol and acetaldehyde affect the production of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in cultured astrocytes. The effect depends on the concentration of the compounds and the duration of the exposure. Acetaldehyde is a more potent toxin than ethanol, and ethanol's toxicity in the brain is at least partially due to its primary metabolite, acetaldehyde.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucija Sarc
- Poison Control Centre, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Kim SW, Bae KY, Shin HY, Kim JM, Shin IS, Youn T, Kim J, Kim JK, Yoon JS. The role of acetaldehyde in human psychomotor function: a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study. Biol Psychiatry 2010; 67:840-5. [PMID: 19914598 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2009] [Revised: 09/26/2009] [Accepted: 10/01/2009] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acetaldehyde, the first product of ethanol metabolization, is a biologically active compound, but the behavioral properties of acetaldehyde in humans are largely undefined. We investigated the acute effects of both alcohol and acetaldehyde on psychomotor functions related to automobile driving skills. METHODS Twenty-four men were selected through genotyping; one-half had the ALDH2*1/*1 (active form) genotype and one-half had the ALDH2*1/*2 (inactive form) genotype. In a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover design, each subject was administered one of the following doses of alcohol: .25 g/kg, .5 g/kg, or .75 g/kg or a placebo in four trials that took place at 1-week intervals. Blood ethanol concentration (BEC) and blood acetaldehyde concentration (BAAC) were measured nine times, and psychomotor function tests (critical flicker fusion threshold, choice reaction time, compensatory tracking task, and digit symbol substitution test) were assessed seven times in total over 4 hours after study drug ingestion. RESULTS After the consumption of alcohol, BEC was comparable in the two subject groups, whereas BAAC was significantly higher in subjects with ALDH2 *1/*2 than in those with ALDH2 *1/*1. The psychomotor performance of subjects with ALDH2*1/*2 was significantly poorer than that of subjects with ALDH2*1/*1. Significant correlations between psychomotor performance and both BEC and BAAC were observed. However, in the linear regression analysis, BAAC significantly predicted poorer psychomotor performance, whereas BEC was not associated with any measure of psychomotor function. CONCLUSIONS Acetaldehyde might be more important than alcohol in determining the effects on human psychomotor function and skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Wan Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Hospital, Dong-gu, Gwangju, Korea
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Bowen SE, Kimar S, Irtenkauf S. Comparison of toluene-induced locomotor activity in four mouse strains. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2010; 95:249-57. [PMID: 20138905 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2010.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2009] [Revised: 01/19/2010] [Accepted: 01/30/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms by which abused inhalants exert their neurobehavioral effects are only partially understood. In research with other drugs of abuse, specific inbred mouse strains have been useful in exploring genetic loci important to variation in behavioral reactions to these drugs. In the present investigation, mice from three inbred strains (Balb/cByj, C57BL/6J and DBA/2J) and one outbred strain (Swiss Webster) were studied for their acute and chronic sensitivity to toluene-induced changes in locomotor activity. Mice were exposed to toluene (0, 100, 2000, 8000, and 10,000 ppm) for 30 min in static exposure chambers equipped with activity monitors. In the acute condition, concentrations of toluene <8000 ppm increased ambulatory distance while the concentrations of > or =8000 ppm induced temporally biphasic effects with initial increases in activity followed by hypoactivity. Between-group differences in absolute locomotor activity levels were evident. The inbred Balb/cByj and DBA/2J strains as well as the outbred Swiss Webster strain of mice showed greater increases in activity after an acute challenge exposure to 2000 ppm than the inbred C57BL/6J strain. The same animals were then exposed 30 min/day to 8000 ppm toluene for 14 consecutive days. Re-determination of responses to 2000-ppm challenge exposures revealed that sensitization developed in locomotor activity and that the DBA/2J strain showed the greatest increase in sensitivity. These baseline differences in acute sensitivity and the differential shifts in sensitivity after repeated exposures among the inbred mouse strains suggest a genetic basis for the behavioral effects to toluene. The results support the notion that like for other drugs of abuse, using various strains of mice may be useful for investigating mechanisms that underlie risk for inhalant abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott E Bowen
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
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Comparison of ethanol and acetaldehyde toxicity in rat astrocytes in primary culture. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol 2010; 60:297-305. [PMID: 19789159 DOI: 10.2478/10004-1254-60-2009-1927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This study compared the effects of toxicity of ethanol and its first metabolite acetaldehyde in rat astrocytes through cell viability and cell proliferation. The cells were treated with different concentrations of ethanol in the presence or absence of a catalase inhibitor 2-amino-1,2,4 triazole (AMT) or with different concentrations of acetaldehyde. Cell viability was assessed using the trypan blue test. Cell proliferation was assessed after 24 hours and after seven days of exposure to either ethanol or acetaldehyde.We showed that both ethanol and acetaldehyde decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. In proliferation studies, after seven days of exposure to either ethanol or acetaldehyde, we observed a significant dose-dependent decrease in cell number. The protein content study showed biphasic dose-response curves, after 24 hours and seven days of exposure to either ethanol or acetaldehyde. Co-incubation in the presence of AMT significantly reduced the inhibitory effect of ethanol on cell proliferation.We concluded that long-term exposure of astrocytes to ethanol is more toxic than acute exposure. Acetaldehyde is a much more potent toxin than ethanol, and at least a part of ethanol toxicity is due to ethanol's first metabolite acetaldehyde.
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Spina L, Longoni R, Vinci S, Ibba F, Peana AT, Muggironi G, Spiga S, Acquas E. Role of dopamine D1 receptors and extracellular signal regulated kinase in the motivational properties of acetaldehyde as assessed by place preference conditioning. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2010; 34:607-16. [PMID: 20102564 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.01129.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of dopamine D1 receptors and Extracellular signal Regulated Kinase (ERK) in the motivational properties of drugs can be studied by place-conditioning. Recent advances have shown that the motivational properties of ethanol, determined by place-conditioning, are mediated by its metabolic conversion into acetaldehyde. To date, the role of D1 receptors and ERK activation in acetaldehyde-elicited place preference has not been determined. The aim of this study was to assess the role of D1 receptors blockade and MEK inhibition in the acquisition of acetaldehyde-elicited conditioned place preference. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to repeated pairings with 1 compartment of the conditioning apparatus immediately following acetaldehyde (20 mg/kg i.g.) or ethanol (1 g/kg i.g.) administration. The D1 receptor antagonist, SCH 39166 (50 microg/kg s.c.), was administered 10 minutes before acetaldehyde or ethanol administration. In order to study the role of activated ERK in the acetaldehyde-elicited place preference, rats were administered the MEK inhibitor, PD98059 (1, 30, and 90 microg i.c.v.), 10 or 30 minutes before acetaldehyde. To verify the specificity of these effects, we also studied whether PD98059 pretreatment could affect morphine (1 mg/kg s.c.)-elicited place preference. RESULTS Both acetaldehyde and ethanol elicited significant place preferences and these were prevented by pretreatment with SCH 39166. In addition, pretreatment with PD98059, dose (30 and 90 but not 1 microg i.c.v.) and time (10 but not 30 minutes before) dependently, prevented the acquisition of acetaldehyde- and significantly reduced the acquisition of morphine-elicited conditioned place preference. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm that acetaldehyde and ethanol elicit conditioned place preference and demonstrate that D1 receptors are critically involved in these effects. Furthermore, the finding that PD98059 prevents the acquisition of acetaldehyde-elicited conditioned place preference highlights the importance of the D1 receptor-ERK pathway in its motivational effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Spina
- Department of Toxicology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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Jamal M, Ameno K, Miki T, Wang W, Kumihashi M, Isse T, Kawamoto T, Kitagawa K, Nakayama K, Ijiri I, Kinoshita H. Cholinergic alterations following alcohol exposure in the frontal cortex of Aldh2-deficient mice models. Brain Res 2009; 1295:37-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.07.099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2009] [Revised: 07/29/2009] [Accepted: 07/29/2009] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Closon C, Didone V, Tirelli E, Quertemont E. Acetaldehyde and the hypothermic effects of ethanol in mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2009; 33:2005-14. [PMID: 19719790 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.01039.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acetaldehyde, the first metabolite of ethanol, has been suggested to be involved in many behavioral effects of ethanol. However, few studies have investigated the hypothermic effects of acetaldehyde or the contribution of acetaldehyde to ethanol-induced hypothermia. The aim of the present study is to better understand the hypothermic effects of acetaldehyde and the possible contribution of acetaldehyde in ethanol-induced hypothermia, especially under conditions leading to acetaldehyde accumulation. METHODS Female Swiss mice were injected intraperitoneally with ethanol and acetaldehyde and their rectal temperatures were measured with a digital thermometer at various time points after the injections. Experiment 1 compared the hypothermic effects of various acetaldehyde doses (0 to 300 mg/kg) with a reference dose of ethanol (3 g/kg). Experiment 2 tested the effects of a pretreatment with the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) inhibitor cyanamide (25 mg/kg) on ethanol- and acetaldehyde-induced hypothermia. In experiments 3 and 4, mice received a combined pretreatment with cyanamide and the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) inhibitor 4-Methylpyrazole (10 mg/kg) before the injection of ethanol or acetaldehyde. RESULTS Acetaldehyde at doses between 100 and 300 mg/kg induced significant hypothermic effects, but of shorter duration than ethanol-induced hypothermia. The inhibition of ALDH enzymes by cyanamide induced a strong potentiation of both ethanol- and acetaldehyde-induced hypothermia. The pretreatment with 4-MP prevented the potentiation of ethanol-induced hypothermia by cyanamide, but slightly increased the potentiation of acetaldehyde-induced hypothermia by cyanamide. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study clearly show that acetaldehyde has hypothermic properties in mice at least at relatively high concentrations. Furthermore, the accumulation of acetaldehyde following ALDH inhibition strongly enhanced the hypothermic effects of ethanol. These latter results confirm the hypothermic properties of acetaldehyde and show that acetate, the next step in ethanol metabolism, is not involved in these hypothermic effects. Finally, the experiment with 4-MP indicates that the potentiating effects of cyanamide are mediated by the peripheral accumulation of acetaldehyde, which then reaches the brain to induce a severe hypothermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Closon
- Centre de Neurosciences Cognitives et Comportementales, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
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Sershen H, Shearman E, Fallon S, Chakraborty G, Smiley J, Lajtha A. The effects of acetaldehyde on nicotine-induced transmitter levels in young and adult brain areas. Brain Res Bull 2009; 79:458-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2009.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2009] [Accepted: 04/07/2009] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Padilla-de la Torre M, Franco-Pérez J, Santamaría A, Galvan S, González E, Paz C. Effect of acetaldehyde on behavioral and neurochemical changes induced by MK-801 in rats. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2008; 1139:259-67. [PMID: 18991871 DOI: 10.1196/annals.1432.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in motor activity related to dopamine changes in some brain regions have been described as consequences of the modifications produced by systemic administration of MK-801 (a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist) in rats. Acetaldehyde (ACH), the main metabolite of ethanol, has been implicated in different alterations in the central nervous system after ethanol ingestion. ACH might exert some control on dopaminergic transmission through the formation of other compounds with dopamine, which eventually may modify dopamine content and its metabolism. In order to evaluate such a hypothesis, we used Wistar rats in the present study to evaluate the effect of ACH on locomotor alterations and dopamine metabolism changes induced by MK-801. Our results show that the MK-801-treated group had a significant increase in locomotor activity. In contrast, we did not find significant differences in locomotion tests after ACH administration. However, the group to which both drugs were administered showed a significant decrease in locomotor activity compared with those given MK-801 alone. Neurochemical analysis showed an increase in dopamine content in the striatum and frontal cortex after MK-801 administration, however; the increase was reversed by giving 200 mg/kg of ACH. These results indicate that ACH can produce an antagonic-like effect on locomotor alterations and dopamine content changes induced by MK-801, thus modulating the MK-801-induced hyperlocomotion by interfering with dopamine metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Padilla-de la Torre
- Departamento de Neurofisiología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurología, Manuel Velasco Suárez, S.S.A. México, D.F., México
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Reduction in the anxiolytic effects of ethanol by centrally formed acetaldehyde: the role of catalase inhibitors and acetaldehyde-sequestering agents. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2008; 200:455-64. [PMID: 18587667 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-008-1219-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2008] [Accepted: 05/28/2008] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Considerable evidence indicates that brain ethanol metabolism mediated by catalase is involved in modulating some of the behavioral and physiological effects of this drug, which suggests that the first metabolite of ethanol, acetaldehyde, may have central actions. Previous results have shown that acetaldehyde administered into the lateral ventricles produced anxiolysis in a novel open arena in rats. OBJECTIVES The present studies investigate the effects of centrally formed acetaldehyde on ethanol-induced anxiolysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS The effects of the catalase inhibitor sodium azide (SA; 0 or 10 mg/kg, IP) on ethanol-induced anxiolysis (0.0, 0.5, or 1.0 g/kg, IP) were evaluated in CD1 mice in two anxiety paradigms, the elevated plus maze and the dark/light box. Additional studies assessed the effect of the noncompetitive catalase inhibitor 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (AT; 0.5 g/kg, IP) and the acetaldehyde inactivation agent D: -penicillamine (50 mg/kg, IP) on the plus maze. RESULTS SA reduced the anxiolytic effects of ethanol on several parameters evaluated in the elevated plus maze and in the dark/light box. In the plus maze, AT completely blocked and D-penicillamine significantly reduced the anxiolytic properties of ethanol. CONCLUSIONS Thus, when cerebral metabolism of ethanol into acetaldehyde is blocked by catalase inhibitors, or acetaldehyde is inactivated, there is a suppressive effect on the anxiolytic actions of ethanol. These data provide further support for the idea that centrally formed or administered acetaldehyde can contribute to some of the psychopharmacological actions of ethanol, including its anxiolytic properties.
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Boyd KN, O'Buckley TK, Morrow AL. Role of acetaldehyde in ethanol-induced elevation of the neuroactive steroid 3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one in rats. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2008; 32:1774-81. [PMID: 18652594 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2008.00762.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Systemic ethanol administration increases neuroactive steroid levels that increase ethanol sensitivity. Acetaldehyde is a biologically active compound that may contribute to behavioral and rewarding effects of ethanol. We investigated the role of acetaldehyde in ethanol-induced elevations of 3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one (3alpha,5alpha-THP) levels in cerebral cortex. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered ethanol, and plasma acetaldehyde concentrations were measured by gas chromatography to determine relevant concentrations. Rats were then administered acetaldehyde directly, acetaldehyde plus cyanamide to block its degradation, or ethanol in the presence of inhibitors of ethanol metabolism, to determine effects on 3alpha,5alpha-THP levels in cerebral cortex. RESULTS Ethanol administration (2 g/kg) to rats results in a peak acetaldehyde concentration of 6-7 microM at 10 minutes that remains stable for the duration of the time points tested. Direct administration of acetaldehyde eliciting this plasma concentration does not increase cerebral cortical 3alpha,5alpha-THP levels, and inhibition of ethanol-metabolizing enzymes to modify acetaldehyde formation does not alter ethanol-induced 3alpha,5alpha-THP levels. However, higher doses of acetaldehyde (75 and 100 mg/kg), in the presence of cyanamide to prevent its metabolism, are capable of increasing cortical 3alpha,5alpha-THP levels. CONCLUSIONS Physiological concentrations of acetaldehyde are not responsible for ethanol-induced increases in 3alpha,5alpha-THP, but a synergistic role for acetaldehyde with ethanol may contribute to increases in 3alpha,5alpha-THP levels and ethanol sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin N Boyd
- Curriculum in Toxicology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Lajtha A. Interrelated mechanisms in reward and learning. Neurochem Int 2008; 52:73-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2007.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2007] [Revised: 08/29/2007] [Accepted: 08/31/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Effects of cyanamide and acetaldehyde accumulation on the locomotor stimulant and sedative effects of ethanol in mice. Behav Pharmacol 2007; 18:777-84. [DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0b013e3282f158ca] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Manrique HM, Miquel M, Aragon CMG. Acute administration of 3-nitropropionic acid, a reactive oxygen species generator, boosts ethanol-induced locomotor stimulation. New support for the role of brain catalase in the behavioural effects of ethanol. Neuropharmacology 2006; 51:1137-45. [PMID: 16938317 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2006.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2005] [Revised: 06/12/2006] [Accepted: 07/07/2006] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The antioxidant enzyme catalase by reacting with H(2)O(2), forms the compound known as compound I (catalase-H(2)O(2)). This compound is able to oxidise ethanol to acetaldehyde in the CNS. It has been demonstrated that 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) induces the activity of the brain catalase-H(2)O(2) system. In this study, we tested the effect of 3-NPA on both the brain catalase-H(2)O(2) system and on the acute locomotor effect of ethanol. To find the optimal interval for the 3-NPA-ethanol interaction mice were treated with 3-NPA 0, 45, 90 and 135min before an ethanol injection (2.4mg/kg). In a second study, 3-NPA (0, 15, 30 or 45mg/kg) was administered SC to animals 90min before saline or several doses of ethanol (1.6 or 2.4g/kg), and the open-field behaviour was registered. The specificity of the effect of 3-NPA (45mg/kg) was evaluated on caffeine (10mg/kg IP) and cocaine (4mg/kg)-induced locomotion. The prevention of 3-NPA effects on both ethanol-induced locomotion and brain catalase activity by L-carnitine, a potent antioxidant, was also studied. Nitropropionic acid boosted ethanol-induced locomotion and brain catalase activity after 90min. The effect of 3-NPA was prevented by l-carnitine administration. These results indicate that 3-NPA enhanced ethanol-induced locomotion by increasing the activity of the brain catalase system.
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Jamal M, Ameno K, Ameno S, Morishita J, Wang W, Kumihashi M, Ikuo U, Miki T, Ijiri I. Changes in cholinergic function in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of rat exposed to ethanol and acetaldehyde. Neuroscience 2006; 144:232-8. [PMID: 17045751 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.08.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2006] [Revised: 08/28/2006] [Accepted: 08/30/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Our previous microdialysis study demonstrated that both ethanol (EtOH) and acetaldehyde (ACe) decrease in vivo acetylcholine (ACh) release in the medial frontal cortex of freely moving rats. To better understand the mechanisms of EtOH and ACe's effects on the cholinergic system in the brain, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) expression was examined at 40 and 240 min after a dose of EtOH (1 g/kg) in the rat frontal cortex and hippocampus. The control group was treated with 0.9% saline, and other groups received EtOH or cyanamide (CY, 50 mg/kg, a potent aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor) and 60 min later by EtOH intraperitoneally. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that ChAT mRNA levels were decreased by 72.8% and 71.6% in the EtOH and CY+EtOH groups, respectively, at 40 min after EtOH injection compared with saline in the frontal cortex. The hippocampal ChAT levels were reduced by 76.5% and 53.0% in the EtOH and CY+EtOH groups, respectively, at this time. CY+EtOH-induced depletion in ChAT mRNA levels was markedly higher than EtOH in the hippocampus. A similar decrease pattern of ChAT was observed at protein levels as determined by Western blot, but the reduced ChAT levels were significantly higher in the CY+EtOH group as compared with the EtOH group both in the frontal cortex and hippocampus. At 240 min after EtOH injection, the EtOH group had no effect on ChAT at mRNA levels, as compared with saline, whereas CY+EtOH group induced a significant decrease in ChAT mRNA expression to 62.0% and 65.5% in the frontal cortex and hippocampus, respectively. These data were consistent with the results of the Western blot analysis. AChE expression at mRNA levels was not changed at either 40 or 240 min after EtOH dosing in either of these groups in the frontal cortex and hippocampus. Within 40 and 240 min, a statistically significant difference in ChAT expression at mRNA and protein levels was found in the EtOH and CY+EtOH groups both in the frontal cortex and hippocampus. The data obtained from this study demonstrate that EtOH and ACe concentrations decreased ChAT expression at 40 and 240 min after EtOH administration in the frontal cortex and hippocampus, and this result suggests that reduced ChAT expression is strongly related to a decrease in ACh release in the rat brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Jamal
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
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Wang W, Ameno K, Jamal M, Kumihashi M, Uekita I, Ameno S, Ijiri I. Effect of direct infusion of acetaldehyde on dopamine and dopamine-derived salsolinol in the striatum of free-moving rats using a reverse microdialysis technique. Arch Toxicol 2006; 81:121-6. [PMID: 16847670 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-006-0131-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2006] [Accepted: 06/26/2006] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The effects of acetaldehyde (ACD) on dopamine (DA) and DA-derived salsolinol (SAL) levels were investigated in the striatum of freely moving rats. Dialysate levels of DA and SAL were determined using in vivo reverse microdialysis coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography with an electrochemical detector. Perfusion with 1,000 microM ACD decreased DA levels significantly, as compared to baseline value, whereas 250 and 500 microM ACD perfusion did not result in any significant alteration of the DA levels in the striatal dialysates. SAL levels in the dialysates were determined first at 30 or 40 min after ACD perfusion, reached a peak at 150 min, followed by no alterations for 240 min with doses of 250, 500, and 1,000 microM ACD. Our in vivo study suggested that 1,000 microM ACD led to significant decreases in DA levels in the striatum with greater SAL formation, and the examined ACD concentrations induced a dose-dependent elevation in SAL levels in the striatum of freely moving rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihuan Wang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
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Tambour S, Didone V, Tirelli E, Quertemont E. Locomotor effects of ethanol and acetaldehyde after peripheral and intraventricular injections in Swiss and C57BL/6J mice. Behav Brain Res 2006; 172:145-54. [PMID: 16764949 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2005] [Revised: 05/05/2006] [Accepted: 05/10/2006] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have suggested that acetaldehyde, the first product of ethanol metabolism, is involved in the locomotor stimulant effects of ethanol in mice, although it has never been formally tested whether acetaldehyde injected directly into the brain of mice has stimulant properties. Recently, it was also shown in rats that both ethanol and acetaldehyde can induce opposite locomotor effects according to the route of administration. Whereas peripheral administrations of ethanol and acetaldehyde induced locomotor depressant effects, their infusions directly into the brain produced locomotor stimulation. The aim of the present study was to characterize in mice the locomotor effects of ethanol and acetaldehyde injected either peripherally by the intraperitoneal route or centrally into the brain ventricles. Additionally, the effects of ethanol and acetaldehyde were compared in two strains of mice known for their differential sensitivity to the locomotor effects of ethanol, namely Swiss and C57BL/6J mice. Ethanol induced a biphasic effect on locomotor activity in Swiss mice, with stimulant effects at low to moderate doses and depressant effects at higher doses. Such a profile of effects was observed whatever the route of administration, peripheral or central. In C57BL/6J mice, ethanol only induced monophasic depressant effects. In this mouse strain, no evidence of the stimulant effects of ethanol was found after either an i.p. or an i.c.v. administration of ethanol. In contrast to ethanol, acetaldehyde yielded only depressant effects in both strains of mice after both peripheral and central administrations. These results indicate that the route of administration does not alter the locomotor effects of ethanol and acetaldehyde in mice. Additionally, the present study shows that the stimulant properties of acetaldehyde, even after direct infusion into the brain, are not as obvious as previously speculated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Tambour
- Unité de Recherche en Psychologie Expérimentale et Neurosciences Cognitives (URPENC), Université de Liège, Boulevard du Rectorat 5/B32, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
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Font L, Miquel M, Aragon CMG. Prevention of Ethanol-Induced Behavioral Stimulation by d-Penicillamine: A Sequestration Agent for Acetaldehyde. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2006; 29:1156-64. [PMID: 16046870 DOI: 10.1097/01.alc.0000171945.30494.af] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND D-Penicillamine, a sulfhydryl amino acid derived from penicillin, is a highly selective agent for sequestering in vivo acetaldehyde, the first metabolic product of ethanol. A substantial amount of research supports the idea that brain acetaldehyde, produced by central ethanol metabolism, plays a key role in determining some of the behavioral effects of ethanol administration. This study addressed two questions. First, we tested if D-penicillamine was able to modify the depressant effects of acetaldehyde on behavior. Second, we studied the effect of D-penicillamine on ethanol-induced behavioral stimulation. METHODS Mice were pretreated with 75.00 mg/kg of D-penicillamine, and 30 min later, they received acetaldehyde at 0, 100, 200, or 300 mg/kg intraperitoneally. Different groups of animals were treated with 0.0, 37.5, 75, 150, or 300 mg/kg of D-penicillamine simultaneously 30, 90, 150, or 210 min before the intraperitoneal administration of saline or 1.2, 1.8, 2.4, 3.0, or 3.6 g/kg of ethanol, respectively. The specificity of D-penicillamine effects was addressed using two drugs: cocaine (4 mg/kg) and caffeine (15 mg/kg). RESULTS Our results revealed that behavioral depression caused by acetaldehyde (200 and 300 mg/kg) could be attenuated by D-penicillamine treatment. In addition, D-penicillamine was also effective in lowering behavioral locomotion induced by ethanol (1.8 and 2.4 g/kg), without altering spontaneous locomotor activity. This sulfhydryl amino acid specifically modified the effect of ethanol on locomotion because cocaine- or caffeine-induced locomotion was unaffected. In addition, blood ethanol levels were not different between D-penicillamine- and saline-pretreated mice. CONCLUSIONS Behavioral effects produced by acetaldehyde and ethanol are blocked when animals are treated with D-penicillamine, an effective sequestration agent for acetaldehyde. These results suggest that some of the psychopharmacological effects, classically attributed to ethanol, could be mediated by its first metabolite, acetaldehyde.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Font
- Area de Psicobiología, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
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Quertemont E, Eriksson CJP, Zimatkin SM, Pronko PS, Diana M, Pisano M, Rodd ZA, Bell RR, Ward RJ. Is ethanol a pro-drug? Acetaldehyde contribution to brain ethanol effects. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2006; 29:1514-21. [PMID: 16156048 DOI: 10.1097/01.alc.0000175015.51329.45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
This article presents the proceedings of a symposium at the 2004 meeting of the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism, held in Mannheim, Germany. The symposium was organized by Etienne Quertemont and chaired by C. J. Peter Eriksson. The presentations were (1) Brain ethanol metabolism and its behavior consequences, by Sergey M. Zimatkin and P. S. Pronko; (2) Acetaldehyde increases dopaminergic neuronal activity: a possible mechanism for acetaldehyde reinforcing effects, by Marco Diana and Milena Pisano; (3) Contrasting the reinforcing actions of acetaldehyde and ethanol within the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of alcohol-preferring (P) rats, by Zachary A. Rodd and Richard R. Bell; (4) Molecular and biochemical changes associated with acetaldehyde in human alcoholism and alcohol abuse, by C. J. Peter Eriksson.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Quertemont
- Neuroscience Comportementale et Psychopharmacologie, University of Liège, Belgium.
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Font L, Aragon CMG, Miquel M. Ethanol-induced conditioned place preference, but not aversion, is blocked by treatment with D -penicillamine, an inactivation agent for acetaldehyde. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2006; 184:56-64. [PMID: 16344987 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-005-0224-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2005] [Accepted: 09/27/2005] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE There is evidence to suggest that acetaldehyde is involved in the control of ethanol-seeking behavior and reward. D -penicillamine, a thiol amino acid, is a highly selective agent for the inactivation of acetaldehyde. Previous studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that D -penicillamine prevents both behavioral stimulation induced by ethanol and acetaldehyde-produced locomotor depression in mice. OBJECTIVES The contribution of ethanol-derived acetaldehyde to the affective effects of ethanol (preference and aversion) was assessed using an unbiased place conditioning design. METHODS Male mice received four pairings of a distinctive floor stimulus (CS+: GRID+ or HOLE+) with injections of saline and ethanol (2 g/kg) given before (preference) or after (aversion) the 5-min exposure to the place conditioning apparatus. A different floor stimulus (CS-: GRID- or HOLE-), associated with saline-saline injections on alternate days, was presented. For a different group of animals, the pairings with the CS+ were associated with saline and ethanol injections, but on alternate days, they received D -penicillamine (50 or 75 mg/kg) and ethanol injections paired with the CS-floor stimulus. A 60-min preference test was carried out 24 h after the last conditioning trial. A similar procedure was followed to test the effect of D -penicillamine on morphine (16 mg/kg) and cocaine-induced (20 mg/kg) conditioned place preference (CPP). RESULTS CPP and conditioned place aversion (CPA) were observed for ethanol, but D -penicillamine only blocked CPP. D -penicillamine, by itself, did not produce either rewarding or aversive effects. CPP observed for morphine and cocaine was unaffected by D -penicillamine pretreatment. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study suggest that the selective inactivation of acetaldehyde blocked the rewarding, but not aversive, effects of ethanol and support the role of this ethanol metabolite in the affective properties of ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Font
- Area de Psicobiología, Universitat Jaume I, Campus de Riu Sec, Apartat 8029AP, Castellò 12071, Spain
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Tambour S, Didone V, Tirelli E, Quertemont E. Dissociation between the locomotor and anxiolytic effects of acetaldehyde in the elevated plus-maze: evidence that acetaldehyde is not involved in the anxiolytic effects of ethanol in mice. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2005; 15:655-62. [PMID: 15950440 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2005.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2004] [Revised: 03/01/2005] [Accepted: 04/15/2005] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Acetaldehyde, the first product of ethanol metabolism, has been suggested to play a major role in many behavioral effects of ethanol. However, very few studies have directly tested the behavioral effects of the acute administration of acetaldehyde. In particular, the role of this metabolite in ethanol-induced anxiolytic effects has never been extensively tested. The aim of the present study was to characterize the anxiolytic effects of acetaldehyde in two strains of mice, C57BL/6J and CD1 mice with the elevated plus-maze procedure. The results show that acute injections of ethanol (1-2 g/kg) induced significant dose-dependent anxiolytic effects in both strains of mice. In contrast, acetaldehyde failed to produce any anxiolytic effect, although it induced a significant hypolocomotor effect at the highest doses. In an independent experiment, cyanamide, an aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor, prevented the locomotor stimulant effects of ethanol, although it failed to alter its anxiolytic effects. Together, the results of the present study indicate that acetaldehyde is not involved in ethanol-induced anxiolytic effects, although it may be involved in its sedative/hypolocomotor effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Tambour
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Comportementales et Psychopharmacologie, Université de Liège, Boulevard du Rectorat 5/B32, 4000 Liège, Belgium
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Frye CA, Rhodes ME, Dudek B. Estradiol to aged female or male mice improves learning in inhibitory avoidance and water maze tasks. Brain Res 2005; 1036:101-8. [PMID: 15725406 PMCID: PMC3619722 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2004.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2004] [Revised: 11/29/2004] [Accepted: 12/04/2004] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Although 17beta-Estradiol (E2) improves cognitive performance of aged female mice, its mnemonic effects when administered post-training to aged male mice have not been examined. E2 (10 microg, SC) or oil vehicle was administered to intact, 24-month-old female or male congenic (primarily C57BL/6 background) mice immediately after training in the inhibitory avoidance or water maze tasks. Following behavioral testing, effects of 1 or 24 h of E2 exposure on hippocampal levels of E2 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were examined. Female and male mice administered E2 showed significantly better performance in the inhibitory avoidance task than did vehicle-administered mice. When tested 24 h after training, mice that received E2 had significantly longer latencies to cross-over to the shock-associated side of the chamber than did vehicle-administered mice. Female or male mice administered E2 showed significantly better performance in the reference memory aspect of the spatial water maze task. When tested 30 min after training, mice administered E2 had shorter latencies to, and spent longer swimming in, the quadrant that the hidden platform had previously been located in. E2 administration produced physiological levels of E2 in the hippocampus 1 and 24 h after E2. BDNF levels in the hippocampus were decreased following 1 h of E2 exposure compared to vehicle. These findings suggest that E2 to female and male mice may overcome age-related deficits in reference memory in an emotional or spatial learning task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl A Frye
- Department of Psychology, The University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
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Quertemont E, Tambour S, Tirelli E. The role of acetaldehyde in the neurobehavioral effects of ethanol: A comprehensive review of animal studies. Prog Neurobiol 2005; 75:247-74. [PMID: 15882776 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2005.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2005] [Accepted: 03/24/2005] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Acetaldehyde has long been suggested to be involved in a number of ethanol's pharmacological and behavioral effects, such as its reinforcing, aversive, sedative, amnesic and stimulant properties. However, the role of acetaldehyde in ethanol's effects has been an extremely controversial topic during the past two decades. Opinions ranged from those virtually denying any role for acetaldehyde in ethanol's effects to those who claimed that alcoholism is in fact "acetaldehydism". Considering the possible key role of acetaldehyde in alcohol addiction, it is critical to clarify the respective functions of acetaldehyde and ethanol molecules in the pharmacological and behavioral effects of alcohol consumption. In the present paper, we review the animal studies reporting evidence that acetaldehyde is involved in the pharmacological and behavioral effects of ethanol. A number of studies demonstrated that acetaldehyde administration induces a range of behavioral effects. Other pharmacological studies indicated that acetaldehyde might be critically involved in several effects of ethanol consumption, including its reinforcing consequences. However, conflicting evidence has also been published. Furthermore, it remains to be shown whether pharmacologically relevant concentrations of acetaldehyde are achieved in the brain after alcohol consumption in order to induce significant effects. Finally, we review current evidence about the central mechanisms of action of acetaldehyde.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Quertemont
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Comportementales, et Psychopharmacologie, Université de Liège, Boulevard du Rectorat 5/B32, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
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