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Cruz B, Borgonetti V, Bajo M, Roberto M. Sex-dependent factors of alcohol and neuroimmune mechanisms. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 26:100562. [PMID: 37601537 PMCID: PMC10432974 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Excessive alcohol use disrupts neuroimmune signaling across various cell types, including neurons, microglia, and astrocytes. The present review focuses on recent, albeit limited, evidence of sex differences in biological factors that mediate neuroimmune responses to alcohol and underlying neuroimmune systems that may influence alcohol drinking behaviors. Females are more vulnerable than males to the neurotoxic and negative consequences of chronic alcohol drinking, reflected by elevations of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory mediators. Differences in cytokine, microglial, astrocytic, genomic, and transcriptomic evidence suggest females are more reactive than males to neuroinflammatory changes after chronic alcohol exposure. The growing body of evidence supports that innate immune factors modulate synaptic transmission, providing a mechanistic framework to examine sex differences across neurocircuitry. Targeting neuroimmune signaling may be a viable strategy for treating AUD, but more research is needed to understand sex-specific differences in alcohol drinking and neuroimmune mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Cruz
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA, 92073
| | - Vittoria Borgonetti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA, 92073
| | - Michal Bajo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA, 92073
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA, 92073
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2
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Carlson ER, Guerin SP, Nixon K, Fonken LK. The neuroimmune system - Where aging and excess alcohol intersect. Alcohol 2023; 107:153-167. [PMID: 36150610 PMCID: PMC10023388 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
As the percentage of the global population over age 65 grows, and with it a subpopulation of individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD), understanding the effect of alcohol on the aged brain is of utmost importance. Neuroinflammation is implicated in both natural aging as well as alcohol use, and its role in alterations to brain morphology and function may be exacerbated in aging individuals who drink alcohol to excess. The neuroimmune response to alcohol in aging is complex. The few studies investigating this issue have reported heightened basal activity and either hypo- or hyper-reactivity to an alcohol challenge. This review of preclinical research will first introduce key players of the immune system, then explore changes in neuroimmune function with aging or alcohol alone, with discussion of vulnerable brain regions, changes in cytokines, and varied reactions of microglia and astrocytes. We will then consider different levels of alcohol exposure, relevant animal models of AUD, and neuroimmune activation by alcohol across the lifespan. By identifying key findings, challenges, and targets for future research, we hope to bring more attention and resources to this underexplored area of inquiry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika R Carlson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Steven P Guerin
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Kimberly Nixon
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Laura K Fonken
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States.
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3
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Miguel-Hidalgo JJ. Astroglia in the Vulnerability and Maintenance of Alcohol Use Disorders. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 26:255-279. [PMID: 34888838 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-77375-5_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Changes induced in the morphology and the multiplicity of functional roles played by astrocytes in brain regions critical to the establishment and maintenance of alcohol abuse suggest that they make an important contribution to the vulnerability to alcohol use disorders. The understanding of the relevant mechanisms accounting for that contribution is complicated by the fact that alcohol itself acts directly on astrocytes altering their metabolism, gene expression, and plasticity, so that the ultimate result is a complex interaction of various cellular pathways, including intracellular calcium regulation, neuroimmune responses, and regulation of neurotransmitter and gliotransmitter release and uptake. The recent years have seen a steady increase in the characterization of several of the relevant mechanisms, but much remains to be done for a full understanding of the astrocytes' contribution to the vulnerability to alcohol dependence and abuse and for using that knowledge in designing effective therapies for AUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Javier Miguel-Hidalgo
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
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4
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Abstract
In the twentieth century, neuropsychiatric disorders have been perceived solely from a neurone-centric point of view, which considers neurones as the key cellular elements of pathological processes. This dogma has been challenged thanks to the better comprehension of the brain functioning, which, even if far from being complete, has revealed the complexity of interactions that exist between neurones and neuroglia. Glial cells represent a highly heterogeneous population of cells of neural (astroglia and oligodendroglia) and non-neural (microglia) origin populating the central nervous system. The variety of glia reflects the innumerable functions that glial cells perform to support functions of the nervous system. Aberrant execution of glial functions contributes to the development of neuropsychiatric pathologies. Arguably, all types of glial cells are implicated in the neuropathology; however, astrocytes have received particular attention in recent years because of their pleiotropic functions that make them decisive in maintaining cerebral homeostasis. This chapter describes the multiple roles of astrocytes in the healthy central nervous system and discusses the diversity of astroglial responses in neuropsychiatric disorders suggesting that targeting astrocytes may represent an effective therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Scuderi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Alexei Verkhratsky
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Achucarro Center for Neuroscience, IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Vladimir Parpura
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Baoman Li
- Department of Forensic Analytical Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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Elevated monoamine oxidase A activity and protein levels in rodent brain during acute withdrawal after chronic intermittent ethanol vapor exposure. Drug Alcohol Depend 2018; 185:398-405. [PMID: 29549852 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.11.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Revised: 11/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A key component of alcohol dependence (AD), a severe form of alcohol use disorder, is the negative emotional state during withdrawal. Monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) is an important enzyme that metabolizes monoamines and creates oxidative stress. Elevations in MAO-A level, especially in the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex (PFC and ACC), are associated with low mood states, including the dysphoria of early alcohol withdrawal in humans. The aim of the present study was to determine whether chronic alcohol vapor exposure causes an upregulation of MAO-A activity or level in the PFC and ACC of rodents during acute withdrawal. METHODS Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to ethanol vapor or control condition for 17 h per day for 8 weeks. MAO-A activity and protein levels were measured immediately after exposure, acute withdrawal (24 h), protracted withdrawal (4 day), and protracted abstinence (3 weeks) (n = 16/group; 8 alcohol exposed, 8 control). RESULTS Chronic ethanol vapor exposure significantly elevated MAO-A activity and protein levels in the PFC and ACC at 24-h withdrawal (multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), activity: F2,13 = 3.82, p = .05, protein: F2,13 = 5.13, p = .02). There were no significant changes in MAO-A level or activity at other timepoints. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggest a causal relationship between acute alcohol withdrawal and elevated MAO-A levels and activity, clarifying the observation of greater MAO-A binding in human alcohol withdrawal. This has important implications for developing methods of targeting MAO-A and/or sequelae of its dysregulation in alcohol dependence.
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Miguel-Hidalgo JJ. Molecular Neuropathology of Astrocytes and Oligodendrocytes in Alcohol Use Disorders. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:78. [PMID: 29615864 PMCID: PMC5869926 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Postmortem studies reveal structural and molecular alterations of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in both the gray and white matter (GM and WM) of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in human subjects with chronic alcohol abuse or dependence. These glial cellular changes appear to parallel and may largely explain structural and functional alterations detected using neuroimaging techniques in subjects with alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Moreover, due to the crucial roles of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in neurotransmission and signal conduction, these cells are very likely major players in the molecular mechanisms underpinning alcoholism-related connectivity disturbances between the PFC and relevant interconnecting brain regions. The glia-mediated etiology of alcohol-related brain damage is likely multifactorial since metabolic, hormonal, hepatic and hemodynamic factors as well as direct actions of ethanol or its metabolites have the potential to disrupt distinct aspects of glial neurobiology. Studies in animal models of alcoholism and postmortem human brains have identified astrocyte markers altered in response to significant exposures to ethanol or during alcohol withdrawal, such as gap-junction proteins, glutamate transporters or enzymes related to glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) metabolism. Changes in these proteins and their regulatory pathways would not only cause GM neuronal dysfunction, but also disturbances in the ability of WM axons to convey impulses. In addition, alcoholism alters the expression of astrocyte and myelin proteins and of oligodendrocyte transcription factors important for the maintenance and plasticity of myelin sheaths in WM and GM. These changes are concomitant with epigenetic DNA and histone modifications as well as alterations in regulatory microRNAs (miRNAs) that likely cause profound disturbances of gene expression and protein translation. Knowledge is also available about interactions between astrocytes and oligodendrocytes not only at the Nodes of Ranvier (NR), but also in gap junction-based astrocyte-oligodendrocyte contacts and other forms of cell-to-cell communication now understood to be critical for the maintenance and formation of myelin. Close interactions between astrocytes and oligodendrocytes also suggest that therapies for alcoholism based on a specific glial cell type pathology will require a better understanding of molecular interactions between different cell types, as well as considering the possibility of using combined molecular approaches for more effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- José J Miguel-Hidalgo
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
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Whittom A, Villarreal A, Soni M, Owusu-Duku B, Meshram A, Rajkowska G, Stockmeier CA, Miguel-Hidalgo JJ. Markers of apoptosis induction and proliferation in the orbitofrontal cortex in alcohol dependence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2015; 38:2790-9. [PMID: 25421516 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2014] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol-dependent (ALC) subjects exhibit glial and neuronal pathology in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). However, in many patients, neurophysiological disturbances are not associated with catastrophic cell depletion despite prolonged alcohol abuse. It is still unclear how some relevant markers of a cell's propensity to degenerate or proliferate are changed in the PFC of ALC subjects without major neurological disorders. METHODS Levels of pro-apoptotic caspase 8 (C8), X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), direct IAP binding protein with low pI (DIABLO), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and density of cells immunoreactive for proliferation marker Ki-67 (Ki-67-IR) were measured postmortem in the left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of 29 subjects with alcohol dependence and 23 nonpsychiatric comparison subjects. RESULTS Alcohol subjects had significantly higher levels of the 14 kDa C8 fragment (C8-14), an indicator of C8 activation. However, there was no change in the levels of DIABLO, XIAP, or in the DIABLO/XIAP ratio. PCNA protein level and density of Ki-67-IR cells were not significantly changed in alcoholics, although PCNA levels were increased in older ALC subjects as compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS Significant increase of a C8 activation indicator was found in alcoholism, but without significant changes in XIAP level, DIABLO/XIAP ratio, or Ki-67 labeling. These results would help to explain the absence of catastrophic cell loss in the PFC of many Brigman subjects, while still being consistent with an alcoholism-related vulnerability to slow decline in glial cells and neurons in the OFC of alcoholics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Whittom
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi
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8
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Yang JY, Xue X, Tian H, Wang XX, Dong YX, Wang F, Zhao YN, Yao XC, Cui W, Wu CF. Role of microglia in ethanol-induced neurodegenerative disease: Pathological and behavioral dysfunction at different developmental stages. Pharmacol Ther 2014; 144:321-37. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2014.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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9
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Bell-Temin H, Zhang P, Chaput D, King MA, You M, Liu B, Stevens SM. Quantitative Proteomic Characterization of Ethanol-Responsive Pathways in Rat Microglial Cells. J Proteome Res 2013; 12:2067-77. [DOI: 10.1021/pr301038f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Harris Bell-Temin
- Department
of Cell Biology,
Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620,
United States
| | | | - Dale Chaput
- Department
of Cell Biology,
Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620,
United States
| | - Michael A. King
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 1601 SW Archer Road, Gainesville,
Florida 32608, United States
| | - Min You
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology
and Physiology, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | | | - Stanley M. Stevens
- Department
of Cell Biology,
Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620,
United States
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Koss WA, Sadowski RN, Sherrill LK, Gulley JM, Juraska JM. Effects of ethanol during adolescence on the number of neurons and glia in the medial prefrontal cortex and basolateral amygdala of adult male and female rats. Brain Res 2012; 1466:24-32. [PMID: 22627163 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2012] [Revised: 04/13/2012] [Accepted: 05/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Human adolescents often consume alcohol in a binge-like manner at a time when changes are occurring within specific brain structures, such as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLN). In particular, the number of neurons and glia is changing in both of these areas in the rat between adolescence and adulthood (Markham et al., 2007; Rubinow and Juraska, 2009). The current study investigated the effects of ethanol exposure during adolescence on the number of neurons and glia in the adult mPFC and BLN in Long-Evans male and female rats. Saline or 3g/kg ethanol was administered between postnatal days (P) 35-45 in a binge-like pattern, with 2days of injections followed by 1 day without an injection. Stereological analyses of the ventral mPFC (prelimbic and infralimbic areas) and the BLN were performed on brains from rats at 100 days of age. Neuron and glia densities were assessed with the optical disector and then multiplied by the volume to calculate the total number of neurons and glia. In the adult mPFC, ethanol administration during adolescence resulted in a decreased number of glia in males, but not females, and had no effect on the number of neurons. Adolescent ethanol exposure had no effects on glia or neuron number in the BLN. These results suggest that glia cells in the prefrontal cortex are particularly sensitive to binge-like exposure to ethanol during adolescence in male rats only, potentially due to a decrease in proliferation in males or protective mechanisms in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- W A Koss
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
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11
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Coller JK, Hutchinson MR. Implications of central immune signaling caused by drugs of abuse: mechanisms, mediators and new therapeutic approaches for prediction and treatment of drug dependence. Pharmacol Ther 2012; 134:219-45. [PMID: 22316499 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2012.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2012] [Accepted: 01/17/2012] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
In the past two decades a trickle of manuscripts examining the non-neuronal central nervous system immune consequences of the drugs of abuse has now swollen to a significant body of work. Initially, these studies reported associative evidence of central nervous system proinflammation resulting from exposure to the drugs of abuse demonstrating key implications for neurotoxicity and disease progression associated with, for example, HIV infection. However, more recently this drug-induced activation of central immune signaling is now understood to contribute substantially to the pharmacodynamic actions of the drugs of abuse, by enhancing the engagement of classical mesolimbic dopamine reward pathways and withdrawal centers. This review will highlight the key in vivo animal, human, biological and molecular evidence of these central immune signaling actions of opioids, alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Excitingly, this new appreciation of central immune signaling activity of drugs of abuse provides novel therapeutic interventions and opportunities to identify 'at risk' individuals through the use of immunogenetics. Discussion will also cover the evidence of modulation of this signaling by existing clinical and pre-clinical drug candidates, and novel pharmacological targets. Finally, following examination of the breadth of central immune signaling actions of the drugs of abuse highlighted here, the current known common immune signaling components will be outlined and their impact on established addiction neurocircuitry discussed, thereby synthesizing a common neuroimmune hypothesis of addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet K Coller
- Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia.
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Dalçik H, Yardimoglu M, Filiz S, Gonca S, Dalçik C, Erden BF. Chronic ethanol-induced glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity: an immunocytochemical observation in various regions of adult rat brain. Int J Neurosci 2010; 119:1303-18. [PMID: 19922358 DOI: 10.1080/00207450802333672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, the effects of chronic ethanol (ETOH) treatment on the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity was investigated in adult rat brains. ETOH were administered as increasing concentrations of 2.4%-7.2% (v/v) gradually for 21 days. Immunocytochemistry revealed that chronic-ETOH treatment increased synthesis of GFAP. The increase in the diameter and the number of GFAP (+) cells were statistically significant compared with the control group (p <. 05). An increase of GFAP immunoreactivity was evident in various white matter and gray matter structures. We concluded that functional astrocytic cells responded to chronic ETOH exposure by increasing the synthesis of GFAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakki Dalçik
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Kocaeli University, Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli, Turkey.
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Thymosin-β4 Attenuates Ethanol-induced Neurotoxicity in Cultured Cerebral Cortical Astrocytes by Inhibiting Apoptosis. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2009; 30:149-60. [DOI: 10.1007/s10571-009-9439-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2009] [Accepted: 07/27/2009] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Miguel-Hidalgo J, Shoyama Y, Wanzo V. Infusion of gliotoxins or a gap junction blocker in the prelimbic cortex increases alcohol preference in Wistar rats. J Psychopharmacol 2009; 23:550-7. [PMID: 18562436 PMCID: PMC2697276 DOI: 10.1177/0269881108091074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Postmortem research has revealed that there is a lower density of glial cells in regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of uncomplicated alcoholics when compared with control subjects. Impairment of astrocyte function in the PFC may contribute to malfunction in circuits involved in emotion- and reward-related subcortical centers, heavily connected with the PFC and directly involved in the pathophysiology of addictive behaviours. The hypothesis was tested that infusion of gliotoxins known to injure astrocytes or of a gap junction blocker into the prelimbic area of the rat PFC results in increased preference for ethanol in rats exposed to free choice between water and 10% ethanol. Fluorocitric acid, L-alpha-aminoadipic acid (AAD) or the gap junction blocker 18-alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid (AGA) were bilaterally infused once into the rat prelimbic cortex and alcohol preference (ratio of 10% ethanol consumed to total liquid ingested) was measured before and after infusion. Infusion of AAD or AGA dissolved in their vehicles, but not of their vehicles alone, resulted in significant transient increase of preference for 10% ethanol. The present data suggest that impaired integrity of glial cells or the gap junctional communication between them in the rat PFC may contribute to changes in ethanol preference.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Miguel-Hidalgo
- Psychiatry and Human Behaviour, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
| | - Y Shoyama
- Department of Chemo-Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - V Wanzo
- Psychiatry and Human Behaviour, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
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Rajkowska G, Miguel-Hidalgo JJ. Gliogenesis and glial pathology in depression. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS-DRUG TARGETS 2007; 6:219-33. [PMID: 17511618 PMCID: PMC2918806 DOI: 10.2174/187152707780619326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 431] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent research has changed the perception of glia from being no more than silent supportive cells of neurons to being dynamic partners participating in brain metabolism and communication between neurons. This discovery of new glial functions coincides with growing evidence of the involvement of glia in the neuropathology of mood disorders. Unanticipated reductions in the density and number of glial cells are reported in fronto-limbic brain regions in major depression and bipolar illness. Moreover, age-dependent decreases in the density of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) - immunoreactive astrocytes and levels of GFAP protein are observed in the prefrontal cortex of younger depressed subjects. Since astrocytes participate in the uptake, metabolism and recycling of glutamate, we hypothesize that an astrocytic deficit may account for the alterations in glutamate/GABA neurotransmission in depression. Reductions in the density and ultrastructure of oligodendrocytes are also detected in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala in depression. Pathological changes in oligodendrocytes may be relevant to the disruption of white matter tracts in mood disorders reported by diffusion tensor imaging. Factors such as stress, excess of glucocorticoids, altered gene expression of neurotrophic factors and glial transporters, and changes in extracellular levels of neurotransmitters released by neurons may modify glial cell number and affect the neurophysiology of depression. Therefore, we will explore the role of these events in the possible alteration of glial number and activity, and the capacity of glia as a promising new target for therapeutic medications. Finally, we will consider the temporal relationship between glial and neuronal cell pathology in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Rajkowska
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA.
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Miguel-Hidalgo JJ. Withdrawal from free-choice ethanol consumption results in increased packing density of glutamine synthetase-immunoreactive astrocytes in the prelimbic cortex of alcohol-preferring rats. Alcohol Alcohol 2006; 41:379-85. [PMID: 16484281 PMCID: PMC2922913 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agl006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Excess activation of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the cerebral cortex following ethanol withdrawal is considered to contribute to significant behavioural disturbances, and to alcohol craving. Astrocytes may play a role in these manifestations because astrocytes are essential in the regulation of released glutamate and its conversion to glutamine through the enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS). However, it is unclear if withdrawal from free-choice ethanol drinking causes changes in the numbers of astrocytes expressing GS or the cytoskeletal protein of astrocytes glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Alcohol-preferring (P) rats exposed to free-choice ethanol drinking were either maintained without forced interruption of ethanol drinking, subjected to a 3-day withdrawal period at the end of 2 months, or subjected to three 3-day withdrawal periods along 6 months. At 2 months, P rats were also compared with alcohol-naïve alcohol non-preferring rats (NP) rats. Packing density of GS and GFAP-immunoreactive (IR) astrocytes was measured in sections from the prelimbic cortex (PLC) using the optical disector probe. An alcohol deprivation effect was observed in P rats with withdrawals during a 6-month ethanol drinking period. Ethanol withdrawal significantly increased the packing density of GS- and GFAP-IR astrocytes in the PLC of P rats as compared with P rats with continuous access to ethanol. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the pre-withdrawal ethanol consumption and the packing density of GS-IR astrocytes. The present results suggest the involvement of astrocytes in the regulation of the glutamatergic activation associated with withdrawal from free-choice ethanol consumption and point to differential adaptations of GS and GFAP to prolonged alcohol drinking in the PLC of P rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Javier Miguel-Hidalgo
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, 39216, USA.
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Miguel-Hidalgo JJ, Wei J, Andrew M, Overholser JC, Jurjus G, Stockmeier CA, Rajkowska G. Glia pathology in the prefrontal cortex in alcohol dependence with and without depressive symptoms. Biol Psychiatry 2002; 52:1121-33. [PMID: 12488057 PMCID: PMC3115671 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-3223(02)01439-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reductions in glial density and enlargement of glial nuclei have been reported in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) in mood disorders. In alcohol dependence, often comorbid with depression, it is unclear whether there are changes in the density and size of glial cells in the dlPFC. METHODS The packing density and size of Nissl-stained glial cell nuclei were analyzed postmortem in the cortical layers of the dlPFC from 21 control and 17 alcohol-dependent (Alc) subjects without Wernicke or Korsakoff syndromes. Eight Alc subjects had depressive symptoms. The density of glial cells was measured with a three-dimensional cell counting method, and the areal fraction of glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity (GFAP) was also determined. RESULTS Glial density was reduced by 11-14% in layers V and VI and in all layers combined in the Alc group. The size of glial nuclei was decreased by 3.2% in Alc subjects. The Alc subjects with depressive symptoms showed the lowest values of density and size. There was no difference in GFAP immunoreactivity, although the lowest values were in the Alc group. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol dependence is characterized by decreases in both density and size of glia in the dlPFC. Glial pathology may be more severe in Alc subjects with depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Javier Miguel-Hidalgo
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
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Belmadani A, Zou JY, Schipma MJ, Neafsey EJ, Collins MA. Ethanol pre-exposure suppresses HIV-1 glycoprotein 120-induced neuronal degeneration by abrogating endogenous glutamate/Ca2+-mediated neurotoxicity. Neuroscience 2001; 104:769-81. [PMID: 11440808 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(01)00139-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The neurotoxic mechanism of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein 120 (gp120) involves glutamatergic (NMDA) receptor/Ca2+-dependent excitotoxicity, mediated in part via glia. Pro-inflammatory cytokines also may have roles. We have reported that pre-exposure of brain cultures to 'physiological' ethanol concentrations (20-30 mM) protects against neuronal damage from HIV-1 gp120, but not from the direct receptor agonist, NMDA. Using lactate dehydrogenase assays and propidium iodide staining of rat organotypic hippocampal-entorhinal cortical slice cultures we determined that ethanol's suppression of gp120 neurotoxicity required at least 4 days of pretreatment. The gp120-induced neurotoxicity was accompanied by interleukin-6 elevations that were not affected by the pretreatment. However, gp120 induced substantial, early increases in extracellular glutamate levels that were blocked by ethanol pretreatment, conceivably abrogating excitotoxicity. Consistent with abrogation of excitotoxic pathways, fura-2 imaging showed selective deficits in gp120-dependent intracellular Ca2+ responses in ethanol-pretreated slices. Gp120 is believed to increase glutamate levels by both stimulating release and inhibiting (re)uptake. Results with a labeled glutamate analog, D-[3H]aspartate, revealed that gp120's inhibition of glutamate uptake, rather than its stimulation of release, was abolished after ethanol. Further studies indicated that two converging effects of ethanol pretreatment may underlie the abolishment of gp120-mediated glutamate uptake inhibition: (a) blockade of gp120-induced release (ostensibly from glia) of arachidonic acid, an inhibitor of astroglial glutamate reuptake, and (b) modest proliferation and activation of astroglia upon gp120 stimulation--which are likely to augment glutamate transporters. Thus, as with gp120 itself, glia and glutamate/arachidonic acid regulation appear to be important targets for ethanol. Since moderate ethanol consumption is as common among HIV-infected individuals as in the general population, this newly recognized neuroprotective (and apparently anti-excitotoxic) effect of ethanol withdrawal in vitro could be important, but it requires further study before its significance, if any, is understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Belmadani
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
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Dlugos CA, Pentney RJ. Quantitative immunocytochemistry of glia in the cerebellar cortex of old ethanol-fed rats. Alcohol 2001; 23:63-9. [PMID: 11331103 DOI: 10.1016/s0741-8329(00)00143-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
It is clear from results of studies in this laboratory that chronic ethanol consumption causes regression of the extensive Purkinje neuron (PN) dendritic arbor. There are, however, a paucity of studies on the effects of chronic ethanol consumption on glia cells that reside in the molecular layer of the cerebellar cortex with PN dendrites. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the possibility that chronic ethanol consumption in old F344 rats results in gliosis within the molecular layer of the cerebellar cortex. Ten 12-month-old, male, F344 rats received a liquid diet containing 35% ethanol for 40 weeks. Pair-fed controls (n=10) received a liquid diet in which maltose dextrins were substituted for ethanol. Chow-fed rats (n=10) served as controls for age. At the end of the treatment period, rats were euthanized and perfused through the aorta, and cerebella were prepared for immunocytochemistry. Free floating sections were stained with (1) glial fibrillary acidic protein antibody for labeling of Bergmann glial cells and fibers, (2) OX-42 antibody for labeling of microglia, and (3) 0.5% cresyl violet for estimates of molecular layer volume. Results indicate that the densities of Bergmann glial cell processes and microglia within the cerebellar molecular layer are not altered by ethanol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- C A Dlugos
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, 317 Farber Hall, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214-3000, USA.
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Seiler AE, Ross BN, Rubin R. Inhibition of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor and IRS-2 signaling by ethanol in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. J Neurochem 2001; 76:573-81. [PMID: 11208920 DOI: 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2001.00025.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The effect of ethanol on insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I)-mediated signal transduction and functional activation in neuronal cells was examined. In human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, ethanol inhibited tyrosine autophosphorylation of the IGF-I receptor. This corresponded to the inhibition of IGF-I-induced phosphorylation of p42/p44 mitogen-activated/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (MAPK) by ethanol. Insulin-related substrate-2 (IRS-2) and focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation were reduced in the presence of ethanol, which corresponded to the prevention of lamellipodia formation (30 min). By contrast, ethanol had no effect on Shc phosphorylation when measured up to 1 h, and did not affect the association of Grb-2 with Shc. Neurite formation at 24 h was similarly unaffected by ethanol. The data indicate that the IGF-I receptor is a target for ethanol in SH-SY5Y cells However, there is diversity in the sensitivity of signaling elements within the IGF-I receptor tyrosine kinase signaling cascades to ethanol, which can be related to the inhibition of specific functional events in neuronal activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A E Seiler
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia 19107, USA
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Vural B, Solakoğlu S, Dalçik H, Vural F, Dalçik C, Erk A, Yücesoy I. Antiproliferative effects and insulin-like growth factor-I expression in Balb-C 3T3 fibroblasts after treatment with somatostatin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs. Acta Histochem 2000; 102:353-63. [PMID: 10990071 DOI: 10.1078/s0065-1281(04)70041-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The present study was aimed to compare antiproliferative effects of somatostatin (SS) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs (GnRHa) on a fibroblast cell line. Proliferation index, cell count, viability of the cells and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) immunoreactivity were determined after treatment with either SS (100 microM/ml), GnRHa (35 nM/ml) or SS and GnRHa of Balb-C 3T3 mouse fibroblasts. It was found that the proliferation index, cell count, viability and IGF-I immunoreactivity were not affected by GnRHa treatment as compared with no treatment (p > 0.05). Application of SS to the fibroblasts resulted in a significant reduction in proliferation index, cell count, and IGF-I immunoreactivity as compared with GnRHa treatment and no treatment, but it had no effect on cell viability. The labelling index in SS-treated cells was significantly reduced as compared with combined treatment with SS and GnRHa. In conclusion, a direct effect of GnRHa on fibroblast cells in culture could not be demonstrated. SS had direct inhibitory effects on cell proliferation possibly via inhibition of IGF-I effects without affecting cell viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Vural
- Kocaeli University, School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Turkey.
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De Vito WJ, Xhaja K, Stone S. Prenatal alcohol exposure increases TNFalpha-induced cytotoxicity in primary astrocytes. Alcohol 2000; 21:63-71. [PMID: 10946159 DOI: 10.1016/s0741-8329(00)00078-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
We examined the effect of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on tumor necrosis factor-alpha-(TNFalpha) induced cell death in primary astrocyte cultures. Flow cytometry revealed that PAE increased the sensitivity of astrocytes to the cytotoxic effects of TNFalpha when compared to astrocytes prepared from pair-fed and chow-fed controls. In a number of cell types, TNFalpha regulates cell growth or death, in part, by the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin to ceramide and sphingosine-1-phosphate (SPP). Using a 3-(4. 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cytotoxic assay we found that PAE increased the sensitivity of astrocytes to the cytotoxic effects of TNFalpha, sphingomyelinase (SMase), and C(2)- and C(6)-ceramide. The increasing cellular concentrations of SPP, a sphingolipid metabolic that induces cell growth, protected the cells from TNFalpha-induced cell death. N, N-dimethylsphingosine (DMS), which inhibits SPP production, and N-oleoylethanolamine, which inhibits acid ceramidases, increased TNFalpha-induced cytotoxicity in astrocytes prepared from PAE rats. These studies suggest that PAE shifts the balance of sphingolipid metabolism in favor of a pathway that increases the susceptibility of astrocytes to the cytotoxic effect of TNFalpha.
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Affiliation(s)
- W J De Vito
- Division of Endocrinology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
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Ethanol Increases the Neurotoxic Effect of Tumor Necrosis Factor-?? in Cultured Rat Astrocytes. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2000. [DOI: 10.1097/00000374-200001000-00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Oberdoerster J, Rabin RA. NGF-differentiated and undifferentiated PC12 cells vary in induction of apoptosis by ethanol. Life Sci 1999; 64:PL 267-72. [PMID: 10372659 DOI: 10.1016/s0024-3205(99)00166-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The present study was undertaken to determine whether the neurotoxic effects of ethanol vary between undifferentiated and differentiated neurons. For this study, untreated rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells and PC12 cells treated for 8-10 days with nerve growth factor (NGF) were used as models of undifferentiated and differentiated neurons, respectively. Treatment of differentiated PC12 cells with 150 mM ethanol resulted in a loss of cells whereas a similar treatment of undifferentiated cells had no effect. In contrast, 50 mM ethanol enhanced apoptosis initiated by serum withdrawal in undifferentiated cells while a similar response in the differentiated cells required 150 mM ethanol. This study demonstrates that undifferentiated and differentiated neuronal cells differ in their sensitivity to the neurotoxic actions of ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Oberdoerster
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, 14214-3000, USA
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