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Kim W, Chu JO, Kim DY, Lee SH, Choi CH, Lee KH. Mimicking chronic alcohol effects through a controlled and sustained ethanol release device. J Biol Eng 2024; 18:31. [PMID: 38715085 PMCID: PMC11077717 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-024-00428-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol consumption, a pervasive societal issue, poses considerable health risks and socioeconomic consequences. Alcohol-induced hepatic disorders, such as fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis, underscore the need for comprehensive research. Existing challenges in mimicking chronic alcohol exposure in cellular systems, attributed to ethanol evaporation, necessitate innovative approaches. In this study, we developed a simple, reusable, and controllable device for examining the physiological reactions of hepatocytes to long-term alcohol exposure. Our approach involved a novel device designed to continuously release ethanol into the culture medium, maintaining a consistent ethanol concentration over several days. We evaluated device performance by examining gene expression patterns and cytokine secretion alterations during long-term exposure to ethanol. These patterns were correlated with those observed in patients with alcoholic hepatitis. Our results suggest that our ethanol-releasing device can be used as a valuable tool to study the mechanisms of chronic alcohol-mediated hepatic diseases at the cellular level. Our device offers a practical solution for studying chronic alcohol exposure, providing a reliable platform for cellular research. This innovative tool holds promise for advancing our understanding of the molecular processes involved in chronic alcohol-mediated hepatic diseases. Future research avenues should explore broader applications and potential implications for predicting and treating alcohol-related illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanil Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute of Medical Science, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52727, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Ok Chu
- Department of Cosmetic Science and Technology, Daegu Haany University, Gyeongsan, 38610, Republic of Korea
| | - Do-Yeon Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41940, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo-Hyeon Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Hyung Choi
- School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 38541, Republic of Korea.
| | - Kyung-Ha Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.
- Institute of Systems Biology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.
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Han AA, Buerger AN, Allen H, Vincent M, Thornton SA, Unice K, Maier A, Quiñones-Rivera A. Assessment of Ethanol Exposure from Hand Sanitizer Use and Potential for Developmental Toxicity in Nursing Infants. J Appl Toxicol 2022; 42:1424-1442. [PMID: 34991177 PMCID: PMC9543418 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Ingestion of ethanol during pregnancy is known to have detrimental effects on the fetus. Although the potential developmental effects of maternal ethanol intake during lactation are less well characterized, public health guidelines recommend avoidance of alcohol or, if alcohol is consumed, to allow for 1–2 h to pass before nursing. A proposal to classify ethanol as potentially harmful to breast‐fed children warrants an investigation of the potential adverse neurodevelopmental effects of low‐dose ethanol exposure during lactation. There currently are no studies that have examined neurodevelopmental outcomes from lactational exposure to ethanol from the use of topical products that contain ethanol, such as alcohol‐based hand sanitizers (ABHS). Furthermore, the epidemiological literature of lactational ethanol exposures from maternal alcohol consumption is limited in design, provides equivocal evidence of neurological effects in infants, and is insufficient to characterize a dose–response relationship for developmental effects. Toxicological studies that observed neurodevelopmental effects in pups from ethanol via lactation did so at exceedingly high doses that also caused maternal toxicity. In this investigation, blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) of breastfeeding women following typical‐to‐intense ABHS use were computationally predicted and compared to health benchmarks to quantify the risk for developmental outcomes. Margins of 2.2 to 1000 exist between BECs associated with ABHS use compared to BECs associated with neurotoxicity adverse effect levels in the toxicology literature or oral ethanol intake per public health guidelines. Neurodevelopmental effects are not likely to occur in infants due to ABHS use by breastfeeding women, even when ABHSs are used at intense frequencies. Adverse neurodevelopmental effects of ethanol exposure are supported by toxicological studies; ethanol as a potential “lactation hazard” needs evaluation. A lactation hazard may not be applicable for all ethanol‐containing products, such as hand sanitizers. Furthermore, internal dose assessments of hand sanitizer use are lacking. Computationally modeled blood ethanol concentrations following hand sanitizer use are lower than concentrations associated with toxicological and guideline benchmarks. Therefore, there is low potential for the use of ethanol‐containing hand sanitizers to be a lactation hazard.
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Kim W, Jeong HS, Kim SC, Choi CH, Lee KH. Chronic Alcohol Exposure of Cells Using Controlled Alcohol-Releasing Capillaries. Cells 2021; 10:cells10051120. [PMID: 34066517 PMCID: PMC8148542 DOI: 10.3390/cells10051120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol is one of the main causes of liver diseases such as fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and chronic hepatitis with liver fibrosis or cirrhosis. To reproduce the conditions of alcohol-induced liver diseases and to identify the disease-causing mechanisms at the cellular level, several methods have been used to expose the cells to ethanol. As ethanol evaporates easily, it is difficult to mimic chronic alcohol exposure conditions at the cellular level. In this study, we developed a glass capillary system containing ethanol, which could steadily release ethanol from the polyethylene tubing and hydrogel portion at both sides of the capillary. The ethanol-containing capillary could release ethanol in the cell culture medium for up to 144 h, and the concentration of ethanol in the cell culture medium could be adjusted by controlling the number of capillaries. A long-term exposure to ethanol by the capillary system led to an increased toxicity of cells and altered the cellular physiologies, such as increasing the lipid accumulation and hepatic transaminase release in cells, as compared to the traditional direct ethanol addition method. Ethanol capillaries showed different gene expression patterns of lipid accumulation- or chronic alcoholism-related genes. Our results suggest that our ethanol-containing capillary system can be used as a valuable tool for studying the mechanism of chronic alcohol-mediated hepatic diseases at the cellular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanil Kim
- Division of Cosmetic Science and Technology, Daegu Haany University, Hanuidae-ro 1, Gyeongsan-si 38610, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea; (W.K.); (H.-S.J.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - Hye-Seon Jeong
- Division of Cosmetic Science and Technology, Daegu Haany University, Hanuidae-ro 1, Gyeongsan-si 38610, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea; (W.K.); (H.-S.J.)
| | - Sang-Chan Kim
- College of Korean Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Hanuidae-ro 1, Gyeongsan-si 38610, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea;
| | - Chang-Hyung Choi
- Division of Cosmetic Science and Technology, Daegu Haany University, Hanuidae-ro 1, Gyeongsan-si 38610, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea; (W.K.); (H.-S.J.)
- Correspondence: (C.-H.C.); (K.-H.L.)
| | - Kyung-Ha Lee
- Division of Cosmetic Science and Technology, Daegu Haany University, Hanuidae-ro 1, Gyeongsan-si 38610, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea; (W.K.); (H.-S.J.)
- Correspondence: (C.-H.C.); (K.-H.L.)
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Jung ME, Mallet RT. Intermittent hypoxia training: Powerful, non-invasive cerebroprotection against ethanol withdrawal excitotoxicity. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2018; 256:67-78. [PMID: 28811138 PMCID: PMC5825251 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2017.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Ethanol intoxication and withdrawal exact a devastating toll on the central nervous system. Abrupt ethanol withdrawal provokes massive release of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, which over-activates its postsynaptic receptors, causing intense Ca2+ loading, p38 mitogen activated protein kinase activation and oxidative stress, culminating in ATP depletion, mitochondrial injury, amyloid β deposition and neuronal death. Collectively, these mechanisms produce neurocognitive and sensorimotor dysfunction that discourages continued abstinence. Although the brain is heavily dependent on blood-borne O2 to sustain its aerobic ATP production, brief, cyclic episodes of moderate hypoxia and reoxygenation, when judiciously applied over the course of days or weeks, evoke adaptations that protect the brain from ethanol withdrawal-induced glutamate excitotoxicity, mitochondrial damage, oxidative stress and amyloid β accumulation. This review summarizes evidence from ongoing preclinical research that demonstrates intermittent hypoxia training to be a potentially powerful yet non-invasive intervention capable of affording robust, sustained neuroprotection during ethanol withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna E Jung
- Center for Neuroscience Discovery, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX 76107-2699, USA.
| | - Robert T Mallet
- Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX 76107-2699, USA.
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Seidemann T, Spies C, Morgenstern R, Wernecke KD, Netzhammer N. Influence of Volatile Anesthesia on the Release of Glutamate and other Amino Acids in the Nucleus Accumbens in a Rat Model of Alcohol Withdrawal: A Pilot Study. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0169017. [PMID: 28045949 PMCID: PMC5207639 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a potentially life-threatening condition, which can occur when patients with alcohol use disorders undergo general anesthesia. Excitatory amino acids, such as glutamate, act as neurotransmitters and are known to play a key role in alcohol withdrawal syndrome. To understand this process better, we investigated the influence of isoflurane, sevoflurane, and desflurane anesthesia on the profile of excitatory and inhibitory amino acids in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) of alcohol-withdrawn rats (AWR). Methods Eighty Wistar rats were randomized into two groups of 40, pair-fed with alcoholic or non-alcoholic nutrition. Nutrition was withdrawn and microdialysis was performed to measure the activity of amino acids in the NAcc. The onset time of the withdrawal syndrome was first determined in an experiment with 20 rats. Sixty rats then received isoflurane, sevoflurane, or desflurane anesthesia for three hours during the withdrawal period, followed by one hour of elimination. Amino acid concentrations were measured using chromatography and results were compared to baseline levels measured prior to induction of anesthesia. Results Glutamate release increased in the alcohol group at five hours after the last alcohol intake (p = 0.002). After 140 min, desflurane anesthesia led to a lower release of glutamate (p < 0.001) and aspartate (p = 0.0007) in AWR compared to controls. GABA release under and after desflurane anesthesia was also significantly lower in AWR than controls (p = 0.023). Over the course of isoflurane anesthesia, arginine release decreased in AWR compared to controls (p < 0.001), and aspartate release increased after induction relative to controls (p20min = 0.015 and p40min = 0.006). However, amino acid levels did not differ between the groups as a result of sevoflurane anesthesia. Conclusions Each of three volatile anesthetics we studied showed different effects on excitatory and inhibitory amino acid concentrations. Under desflurane anesthesia, both glutamate and aspartate showed a tendency to be lower in AWR than controls over the whole timecourse. The inhibitory amino acid arginine increased in AWR compared to controls, whereas GABA levels decreased. However, there were no significant differences in amino acid concentrations under or after sevoflurane anesthesia. Under isoflurane, aspartate release increased in AWR following induction, and from 40 min to 140 min arginine release in controls was elevated. The precise mechanisms through which each of the volatile anesthetics affected amino acid concentrations are still unclear and further experimental research is required to draw reliable conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Seidemann
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Campus Charité Mitte and Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Spies
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Campus Charité Mitte and Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Rudolf Morgenstern
- Institute of Pharmacology, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Nicolai Netzhammer
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Campus Charité Mitte and Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Gerace E, Landucci E, Totti A, Bani D, Guasti D, Baronti R, Moroni F, Mannaioni G, Pellegrini-Giampietro DE. Ethanol Toxicity During Brain Development: Alterations of Excitatory Synaptic Transmission in Immature Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Cultures. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 40:706-16. [DOI: 10.1111/acer.13006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Gerace
- Department of Health Sciences; Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology; University of Florence; Florence Italy
| | - Elisa Landucci
- Department of Health Sciences; Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology; University of Florence; Florence Italy
| | - Arianna Totti
- Department of Health Sciences; Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology; University of Florence; Florence Italy
| | - Daniele Bani
- Department of Experimental & Clinical Medicine; Section of Anatomy & Histology; Research Unit of Histology & Embryology; University of Florence; Florence Italy
| | - Daniele Guasti
- Department of Experimental & Clinical Medicine; Section of Anatomy & Histology; Research Unit of Histology & Embryology; University of Florence; Florence Italy
| | - Roberto Baronti
- Clinical Toxicology Laboratory; Local Health Service; Florence Italy
| | - Flavio Moroni
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NeuroFarBa); Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology; University of Florence; Florence Italy
| | - Guido Mannaioni
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NeuroFarBa); Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology; University of Florence; Florence Italy
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Wilhelm CJ, Hashimoto JG, Roberts ML, Bloom SH, Andrew MR, Wiren KM. Astrocyte Dysfunction Induced by Alcohol in Females but Not Males. Brain Pathol 2015; 26:433-51. [PMID: 26088166 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 06/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic alcohol abuse is associated with brain damage in a sex-specific fashion, but the mechanisms involved are poorly described and remain controversial. Previous results have suggested that astrocyte gene expression is influenced by ethanol intoxication and during abstinence in vivo. Here, bioinformatic analysis of astrocyte-enriched ethanol-regulated genes in vivo revealed ubiquitin pathways as an ethanol target, but with sexually dimorphic cytokine signaling and changes associated with brain aging in females and not males. Consistent with this result, astrocyte activation was observed after exposure in female but not male animals, with reduced S100β levels in the anterior cingulate cortex and increased GFAP(+) cells in the hippocampus. In primary culture, the direct effects of chronic ethanol exposure followed by recovery on sex-specific astrocyte function were examined. Male astrocyte responses were consistent with astrocyte deactivation with reduced GFAP expression during ethanol exposure. In contrast, female astrocytes exhibited increased expression of Tnf, reduced expression of the neuroprotective cytokine Tgfb1, disrupted bioenergetics and reduced excitatory amino acid uptake following exposure or recovery. These results indicate widespread astrocyte dysfunction in ethanol-exposed females and suggest a mechanism that may underlie increased vulnerability to ethanol-induced neurotoxicity in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare J Wilhelm
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR.,Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
| | - Joel G Hashimoto
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR.,Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
| | | | | | - Melissa R Andrew
- Cincinnati Center for Growth Disorders, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Kristine M Wiren
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR.,Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
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