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Pandey S, Miller CA. Targeting the cytoskeleton as a therapeutic approach to substance use disorders. Pharmacol Res 2024; 202:107143. [PMID: 38499081 PMCID: PMC11034636 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUD) are chronic relapsing disorders governed by continually shifting cycles of positive drug reward experiences and drug withdrawal-induced negative experiences. A large body of research points to plasticity within systems regulating emotional, motivational, and cognitive processes as drivers of continued compulsive pursuit and consumption of substances despite negative consequences. This plasticity is observed at all levels of analysis from molecules to networks, providing multiple avenues for intervention in SUD. The cytoskeleton and its regulatory proteins within neurons and glia are fundamental to the structural and functional integrity of brain processes and are potentially the major drivers of the morphological and behavioral plasticity associated with substance use. In this review, we discuss preclinical studies that provide support for targeting the brain cytoskeleton as a therapeutic approach to SUD. We focus on the interplay between actin cytoskeleton dynamics and exposure to cocaine, methamphetamine, alcohol, opioids, and nicotine and highlight preclinical studies pointing to a wide range of potential therapeutic targets, such as nonmuscle myosin II, Rac1, cofilin, prosapip 1, and drebrin. These studies broaden our understanding of substance-induced plasticity driving behaviors associated with SUD and provide new research directions for the development of SUD therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surya Pandey
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States; Department of Neuroscience, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States
| | - Courtney A Miller
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States; Department of Neuroscience, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States.
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Ru Q, Wang Y, Zhou E, Chen L, Wu Y. The potential therapeutic roles of Rho GTPases in substance dependence. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1125277. [PMID: 37063367 PMCID: PMC10097952 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1125277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Rho GTPases family are considered to be molecular switches that regulate various cellular processes, including cytoskeleton remodeling, cell polarity, synaptic development and maintenance. Accumulating evidence shows that Rho GTPases are involved in neuronal development and brain diseases, including substance dependence. However, the functions of Rho GTPases in substance dependence are divergent and cerebral nuclei-dependent. Thereby, comprehensive integration of their roles and correlated mechanisms are urgently needed. In this review, the molecular functions and regulatory mechanisms of Rho GTPases and their regulators such as GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) and guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) in substance dependence have been reviewed, and this is of great significance for understanding their spatiotemporal roles in addictions induced by different addictive substances and in different stages of substance dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lin Chen
- *Correspondence: Lin Chen, ; Yuxiang Wu,
| | - Yuxiang Wu
- *Correspondence: Lin Chen, ; Yuxiang Wu,
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Hypermethylation in the promoter region of the ADRA1A gene is associated with opioid use disorder in Han Chinese. Brain Res 2022; 1793:148050. [PMID: 35964682 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.148050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Opioid use disorder is a chronic brain disease influenced by genetic and epigenetic factors, accounting for approximately 50% of the liability. Adrenergic signaling is involved in opioid use disorder. To demonstrate the associations between methylation alterations in the alpha-1-adrenergic receptor (ADRA1A) gene and opioid use disorder, in the present study, we first examined and compared the methylation levels of 97 CpG sites in the promoter region of the ADRA1A gene in the peripheral blood in 120 patients with heroin use disorder and 111 healthy controls. Correlations between methylation levels and duration of heroin/methadone use were then analyzed. Finally, the predicted binding transcription factors (TFs) and their target sequences in the promoter region of the ADRA1A gene, which include the selected CpG sites, were screened in the JASPAR database. Our results demonstrated that hypermethylation in the promoter region of the ADRA1A gene in the blood was associated with opioid use disorder. Correlations between methylation levels of several CpG sites and duration of heroin/methadone use were observed. TFs TFAP2A and RUNX1 were predicted to bind to the target sequences, which include the CpG sites selected in the current study, in the promoter region of the ADRA1A gene. Our findings further extend the associations between methylation alterations in the ADRA1A gene and opioid use disorder potentially through mechanisms of gene expression regulations in the ADRA1A gene.
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Kao WC, Hsu SH, Lin CL, Lin CY, Chen SW, Chen YX, Chen CH, Lee SW, Tsao CJ, Huang WT, Chen SH, Hsiao SY. Role of high ubiquitin‑conjugating enzyme E2 expression as a prognostic factor in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2022; 23:194. [PMID: 35572494 PMCID: PMC9100605 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2022.13314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Southeast Asia and Taiwan is high due to epidemiological factors. Cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy is an important treatment strategy with excellent outcomes for patients with NPC. However, the outcomes for patients who are refractory to cisplatin-based therapy are poor. Methods for risk stratification of patients with NPC undergoing cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy require to be investigated. A previous study indicated that ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 B (UBE2B) was able to regulate alkylating drug sensitivity in NPC cells. In the present study, the clinical significance of UBE2B expression in patients with NPC was analyzed. Analysis of the two available NPC datasets containing the UBE2B expression profile (GSE12452 and GSE68799) was performed to evaluate the UBE2B expression levels in NPC tissues compared with nasopharyngeal mucosal epithelial tissues. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining was performed using anti-UBE2B antibodies on samples from 124 patients with NPC who underwent cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy. Disease-specific survival (DSS), distant metastatic-free survival (DMeFS) and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) of patients with high and low UBE2B expression was analyzed. Furthermore, the associations between UBE2B expression and the biological behavior of NPC cells were investigated in vitro. Using public NPC datasets and in vitro studies, it was identified that UBE2B expression levels were increased in NPC tumor tissues compared with those in mucosal epithelial tissues. The cell proliferation ability was decreased in UBE2B-deficient NPC cells as compared with that in UBE2B-proficient cells. Immunohistochemical analysis of 124 NPC tissues from patients who underwent cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy indicated that high UBE2B expression levels were associated with poor DSS, DMeFS and LRFS. Multivariate regression analysis of factors influencing survival also confirmed that high UBE2B expression levels were a statistically significant independent risk factor for poor clinical outcomes in terms of DSS [hazard ratio (HR), 1.955; 95% CI 1.164-3.282], DMeFS (HR, 2.141; 95% CI 1.206-3.801) and LRFS (HR, 2.557; 95 CI 1.313-4.981). In vitro analysis indicated that O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase attenuated cisplatin sensitivity induced by knockdown of UBE2B in NPC cells. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that high UBE2B expression is associated with poor clinical outcomes for patients with NPC treated with cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Chen Kao
- Division of Hematology‑Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 736402, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Shih-Han Hsu
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan 704016, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chien-Liang Lin
- Division of Hematology‑Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 736402, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Cheng-Yao Lin
- Division of Hematology‑Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 736402, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Shang-Wen Chen
- Division of Hematology‑Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 736402, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Yan-Xun Chen
- Division of Hematology‑Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 736402, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chao-Hsun Chen
- Division of Hematology‑Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 736402, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Sung-Wei Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 736402, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chao-Jung Tsao
- Division of Hematology‑Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 736402, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Wen-Tsung Huang
- Division of Hematology‑Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 736402, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Shang-Hung Chen
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan 704016, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Sheng-Yen Hsiao
- Division of Hematology‑Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 736402, Taiwan, R.O.C
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Kaplan G, Xu H, Abreu K, Feng J. DNA Epigenetics in Addiction Susceptibility. Front Genet 2022; 13:806685. [PMID: 35145550 PMCID: PMC8821887 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.806685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Addiction is a chronically relapsing neuropsychiatric disease that occurs in some, but not all, individuals who use substances of abuse. Relatively little is known about the mechanisms which contribute to individual differences in susceptibility to addiction. Neural gene expression regulation underlies the pathogenesis of addiction, which is mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA modifications. A growing body of work has demonstrated distinct DNA epigenetic signatures in brain reward regions that may be associated with addiction susceptibility. Furthermore, factors that influence addiction susceptibility are also known to have a DNA epigenetic basis. In the present review, we discuss the notion that addiction susceptibility has an underlying DNA epigenetic basis. We focus on major phenotypes of addiction susceptibility and review evidence of cell type-specific, time dependent, and sex biased effects of drug use. We highlight the role of DNA epigenetics in these diverse processes and propose its contribution to addiction susceptibility differences. Given the prevalence and lack of effective treatments for addiction, elucidating the DNA epigenetic mechanism of addiction vulnerability may represent an expeditious approach to relieving the addiction disease burden.
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Wang L, Han X, Zheng X, Zhou Y, Hou H, Chen W, Li X, Zhao L. [Ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 upregulates tumor suppressor VHL gene expression by suppressing DNMT3A-mediated promoter methylation in ovarian cancer cells]. NAN FANG YI KE DA XUE XUE BAO = JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN MEDICAL UNIVERSITY 2021; 41:100-106. [PMID: 33509760 DOI: 10.12122/j.issn.1673-4254.2021.01.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism by which ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 upregulates the expression of tumor suppressor von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene in ovarian cancer cells. METHODS Ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 treated with 20(S)-Rg3 were examined for mRNA and protein levels of VHL, DNMT1, DNMT3A and DNMT3B by real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The changes in VHL mRNA expression in SKOV3 cells in response to treatment with 5-Aza-CdR, a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, were detected using real-time PCR. VHL gene promoter methylation was examined with methylation-specific PCR and VHL expression levels were determined with real-time PCR and Western blotting in non-treated or 20(S)-Rg3-treated SKOV3 cells and in 20(S)-Rg3-treated DNMT3A-overexpressing SKOV3 cells. VHL and DNMT3A protein levels were detected by immunohistochemistry in subcutaneous SKOV3 cell xenografts in nude mice. RESULTS Treatment of SKOV3 cells with 20(S)-Rg3 significantly upregulated VHL and downregulated DNMT3A expressions at both the mRNA and protein levels (P < 0.05) and upregulated DNMT3B expression only at the mRNA level, but did not cause significant changes in either the mRNA or protein level of DNMT1. Treatment of the cells with 2 and 5 μmol/L 5-Aza-CdR obviously increased VHL mRNA expression by by over 3 folds (P < 0.05). 20(S)-Rg3 significantly decreased the methylation level in the promoter region of VHL gene, and this effect was abrogated by DNMT3A overexpression in the cells (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemisty showed a significantly increased VHL expression but a lowered DNMT3A expression in subcutaneous SKOV3 cell xenografts in 20 (S)-Rg3-treated nude mice. CONCLUSIONS Ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 upregulates VHL expression in ovarian cancer cells by suppressing DNMT3A-mediated DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijie Wang
- Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.,Department of Gynecology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lan Zhou 730030, China
| | - Xi Han
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an 710068, China
| | - Xia Zheng
- the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Huilian Hou
- Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Center for Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Xu Li
- Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.,Key Laboratory for Tumor Precision Medicine of Shaanxi Province, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Le Zhao
- Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.,Key Laboratory for Tumor Precision Medicine of Shaanxi Province, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
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