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Sun M, Zheng Q, Wang L, Wang R, Cui H, Zhang X, Xu C, Yin F, Yan H, Qiao X. Alcohol Consumption During Adolescence Alters the Cognitive Function in Adult Male Mice by Persistently Increasing Levels of DUSP6. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:3161-3178. [PMID: 37978157 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03794-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Binge alcohol drinking during adolescence has long-term effects on the adult brain that alter brain structure and behaviors, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is involved in the synaptic plasticity and pathological brain injury by regulating the expression of cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) is a critical effector that dephosphorylates ERK1/2 to control the basal tone, amplitude, and duration of ERK signaling. To explore DUSP6 as a regulator of ERK signaling in the mPFC and its impact on long-term effects of alcohol, a male mouse model of adolescent intermittent alcohol (AIA) exposure was established. Behavioral experiments showed that AIA did not affect anxiety-like behavior or sociability in adulthood, but significantly damaged new object recognition and social recognition memory. Molecular studies further found that AIA reduced the levels of pERK-pCREB-BDNF-PSD95/NR2A involved in synaptic plasticity, while DUSP6 was significantly increased. Intra-mPFC infusion of AAV-DUSP6-shRNA restored the dendritic spine density and postsynaptic density thickness by reversing the level of p-ERK and its downstream molecular expression, and ultimately repaired adult cognitive impairment caused by chronic alcohol exposure during adolescence. These findings indicate that AIA exposure inhibits ERK-CREB-BDNF-PSD95/NR2A by increasing DUSP6 in the mPFC in adulthood that may be associated with long-lasting cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizhu Sun
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No.100, Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Qingmeng Zheng
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No.100, Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Lulu Wang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No.100, Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Runzhi Wang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No.100, Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Hengzhen Cui
- Basic Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhengzhou University, No.100, Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Xinlei Zhang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No.100, Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Chen Xu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No.100, Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Fangyuan Yin
- College of Forensic Science, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 76, Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hongtao Yan
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No.100, Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Xiaomeng Qiao
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No.100, Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.
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Brocato ER, Easter R, Morgan A, Kakani M, Lee G, Wolstenholme JT. Adolescent binge ethanol impacts H3K9me3-occupancy at synaptic genes and the regulation of oligodendrocyte development. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1389100. [PMID: 38840776 PMCID: PMC11150558 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1389100] [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: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Binge drinking in adolescence can disrupt myelination and cause brain structural changes that persist into adulthood. Alcohol consumption at a younger age increases the susceptibility of these changes. Animal models to understand ethanol's actions on myelin and white matter show that adolescent binge ethanol can alter the developmental trajectory of oligodendrocytes, myelin structure, and myelin fiber density. Oligodendrocyte differentiation is epigenetically regulated by H3K9 trimethylation (H3K9me3). Prior studies have shown that adolescent binge ethanol dysregulates H3K9 methylation and decreases H3K9-related gene expression in the PFC. Methods Here, we assessed ethanol-induced changes to H3K9me3 occupancy at genomic loci in the developing adolescent PFC. We further assessed ethanol-induced changes at the transcription level with qPCR time course approaches in oligodendrocyte-enriched cells to assess changes in oligodendrocyte progenitor and oligodendrocytes specifically. Results Adolescent binge ethanol altered H3K9me3 regulation of synaptic-related genes and genes specific for glutamate and potassium channels in a sex-specific manner. In PFC tissue, we found an early change in gene expression in transcription factors associated with oligodendrocyte differentiation that may lead to the later significant decrease in myelin-related gene expression. This effect appeared stronger in males. Conclusion Further exploration in oligodendrocyte cell enrichment time course and dose response studies could suggest lasting dysregulation of oligodendrocyte maturation at the transcriptional level. Overall, these studies suggest that binge ethanol may impede oligodendrocyte differentiation required for ongoing myelin development in the PFC by altering H3K9me3 occupancy at synaptic-related genes. We identify potential genes that may be contributing to adolescent binge ethanol-related myelin loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R. Brocato
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Rachel Easter
- Alcohol Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Alanna Morgan
- Alcohol Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Meenakshi Kakani
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Grace Lee
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Jennifer T. Wolstenholme
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
- Alcohol Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
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Bohnsack JP, Zhang H, Pandey SC. EZH2-dependent epigenetic reprogramming in the central nucleus of amygdala regulates adult anxiety in both sexes after adolescent alcohol exposure. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:197. [PMID: 38670959 PMCID: PMC11053082 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02906-y] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use and anxiety disorders occur in both males and females, but despite sharing similar presentation and classical symptoms, the prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) is lower in females. While anxiety is a symptom and comorbidity shared by both sexes, the common underlying mechanism that leads to AUD and the subsequent development of anxiety is still understudied. Using a rodent model of adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure in both sexes, we investigated the epigenetic mechanism mediated by enhancer of zeste 2 (EZH2), a histone methyltransferase, in regulating both the expression of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) and an anxiety-like phenotype in adulthood. Here, we report that EZH2 protein levels were significantly higher in PKC-δ positive GABAergic neurons in the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA) of adult male and female rats after AIE. Reducing protein and mRNA levels of EZH2 using siRNA infusion in the CeA prevented AIE-induced anxiety-like behavior, increased H3K27me3, decreased H3K27ac at the Arc synaptic activity response element (SARE) site, and restored deficits in Arc mRNA and protein expression in both male and female adult rats. Our data indicate that an EZH2-mediated epigenetic mechanism in the CeA plays an important role in regulating anxiety-like behavior and Arc expression after AIE in both male and female rats in adulthood. This study suggests that EZH2 may serve as a tractable drug target for the treatment of adult psychopathology after adolescent alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Peyton Bohnsack
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Huaibo Zhang
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
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Blum K, Brodie MS, Pandey SC, Cadet JL, Gupta A, Elman I, Thanos PK, Gondre-Lewis MC, Baron D, Kazmi S, Bowirrat A, Febo M, Badgaiyan RD, Braverman ER, Dennen CA, Gold MS. Researching Mitigation of Alcohol Binge Drinking in Polydrug Abuse: KCNK13 and RASGRF2 Gene(s) Risk Polymorphisms Coupled with Genetic Addiction Risk Severity (GARS) Guiding Precision Pro-Dopamine Regulation. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12061009. [PMID: 35743793 PMCID: PMC9224860 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12061009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Excessive alcohol intake, e.g., binge drinking, is a serious and mounting public health problem in the United States and throughout the world. Hence the need for novel insights into the underlying neurobiology that may help improve prevention and therapeutic strategies. Therefore, our group employed a darkness-induced alcohol intake protocol to define the reward deficiency domains of alcohol and other substance use disorders in terms of reward pathways' reduced dopamine signaling and its restoration via specifically-designed therapeutic compounds. It has been determined that KCNK13 and RASGRF2 genes, respectively, code for potassium two pore domain channel subfamily K member 13 and Ras-specific guanine nucleotide-releasing factor 2, and both genes have important dopamine-related functions pertaining to alcohol binge drinking. We present a hypothesis that identification of KCNK13 and RASGRF2 genes' risk polymorphism, coupled with genetic addiction risk score (GARS)-guided precision pro-dopamine regulation, will mitigate binge alcohol drinking. Accordingly, we review published reports on the benefits of this unique approach and provide data on favorable outcomes for both binge-drinking animals and drunk drivers, including reductions in alcohol intake and prevention of relapse to drinking behavior. Since driving under the influence of alcohol often leads to incarceration rather than rehabilitation, there is converging evidence to support the utilization of GARS with or without KCNK13 and RASGRF2 risk polymorphism in the legal arena, whereby the argument that "determinism" overrides the "free will" account may be a plausible defense strategy. Obviously, this type of research is tantamount to helping resolve a major problem related to polydrug abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Blum
- The Kenneth Blum Behavioral & Neurogenetic Institute, Austin, TX 78701, USA; (E.R.B.); (C.A.D.)
- Division of Addiction Research & Education, Center for Psychiatry, Medicine & Primary Care (Office of Provost), Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA; (D.B.); (M.F.)
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Egyetem tér 1-3, 1053 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine and Dayton VA Medical Centre, Dayton, OH 45324, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Mark S. Brodie
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Departments of Physiology and Biophysics, and Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (M.S.B.); (S.C.P.)
| | - Subhash C. Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Departments of Physiology and Biophysics, and Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (M.S.B.); (S.C.P.)
| | - Jean Lud Cadet
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Ashim Gupta
- Future Biologics, Lawrenceville, GA 30043, USA;
| | - Igor Elman
- Center for Pain and the Brain (P.A.I.N Group), Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care & Pain Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
| | - Panayotis K. Thanos
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions, Clinical Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biosciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA;
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Marjorie C. Gondre-Lewis
- Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA;
| | - David Baron
- Division of Addiction Research & Education, Center for Psychiatry, Medicine & Primary Care (Office of Provost), Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA; (D.B.); (M.F.)
| | - Shan Kazmi
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA;
| | - Abdalla Bowirrat
- Department of Molecular Biology and Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel;
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Division of Addiction Research & Education, Center for Psychiatry, Medicine & Primary Care (Office of Provost), Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA; (D.B.); (M.F.)
| | - Rajendra D. Badgaiyan
- Department of Psychiatry, South Texas Veteran Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital, Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA;
| | - Eric R. Braverman
- The Kenneth Blum Behavioral & Neurogenetic Institute, Austin, TX 78701, USA; (E.R.B.); (C.A.D.)
| | - Catherine A. Dennen
- The Kenneth Blum Behavioral & Neurogenetic Institute, Austin, TX 78701, USA; (E.R.B.); (C.A.D.)
| | - Mark S. Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA;
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Bohnsack JP, Zhang H, Wandling GM, He D, Kyzar EJ, Lasek AW, Pandey SC. Targeted epigenomic editing ameliorates adult anxiety and excessive drinking after adolescent alcohol exposure. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn2748. [PMID: 35507645 PMCID: PMC9067919 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn2748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Adolescent binge drinking is a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders later in life including alcohol use disorder. Adolescent alcohol exposure induces epigenetic reprogramming at the enhancer region of the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) immediate-early gene, known as synaptic activity response element (SARE), and decreases Arc expression in the amygdala of both rodents and humans. The causal role of amygdalar epigenomic regulation at Arc SARE in adult anxiety and drinking after adolescent alcohol exposure is unknown. Here, we show that dCas9-P300 increases histone acetylation at the Arc SARE and normalizes deficits in Arc expression, leading to attenuation of adult anxiety and excessive alcohol drinking in a rat model of adolescent alcohol exposure. Conversely, dCas9-KRAB increases repressive histone methylation at the Arc SARE, decreases Arc expression, and produces anxiety and alcohol drinking in control rats. These results demonstrate that epigenomic editing in the amygdala can ameliorate adult psychopathology after adolescent alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Peyton Bohnsack
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Huaibo Zhang
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Gabriela M. Wandling
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Donghong He
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Evan J. Kyzar
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Amy W. Lasek
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612 USA
| | - Subhash C. Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612 USA
- Corresponding author.
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Krishnan HR, Zhang H, Chen Y, Bohnsack JP, Shieh AW, Kusumo H, Drnevich J, Liu C, Grayson DR, Maienschein-Cline M, Pandey SC. Unraveling the epigenomic and transcriptomic interplay during alcohol-induced anxiolysis. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4624-4632. [PMID: 36089615 PMCID: PMC9734037 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01732-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Positive effects of alcohol drinking such as anxiolysis and euphoria appear to be a crucial factor in the initiation and maintenance of alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, the mechanisms that lead from chromatin reorganization to transcriptomic changes after acute ethanol exposure remain unknown. Here, we used Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin followed by high throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) and RNA-seq to investigate epigenomic and transcriptomic changes that underlie anxiolytic effects of acute ethanol using an animal model. Analysis of ATAC-seq data revealed an overall open or permissive chromatin state that was associated with transcriptomic changes in the amygdala after acute ethanol exposure. We identified a candidate gene, Hif3a (Hypoxia-inducible factor 3, alpha subunit), that had 'open' chromatin regions (ATAC-seq peaks), associated with significantly increased active epigenetic histone acetylation marks and decreased DNA methylation at these regions. The mRNA levels of Hif3a were increased by acute ethanol exposure, but decreased in the amygdala during withdrawal after chronic ethanol exposure. Knockdown of Hif3a expression in the central nucleus of amygdala attenuated acute ethanol-induced increases in Hif3a mRNA levels and blocked anxiolysis in rats. These data indicate that chromatin accessibility and transcriptomic signatures in the amygdala after acute ethanol exposure underlie anxiolysis and possibly prime the chromatin for the development of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harish R. Krishnan
- grid.185648.60000 0001 2175 0319Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA ,grid.280892.90000 0004 0419 4711Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Huaibo Zhang
- grid.185648.60000 0001 2175 0319Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA ,grid.280892.90000 0004 0419 4711Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Ying Chen
- grid.185648.60000 0001 2175 0319Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - John Peyton Bohnsack
- grid.185648.60000 0001 2175 0319Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Annie W. Shieh
- grid.185648.60000 0001 2175 0319Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA ,grid.411023.50000 0000 9159 4457Present Address: Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210 USA
| | - Handojo Kusumo
- grid.185648.60000 0001 2175 0319Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA ,grid.280892.90000 0004 0419 4711Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Jenny Drnevich
- grid.35403.310000 0004 1936 9991High-Performance Biological Computing, Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Chunyu Liu
- grid.185648.60000 0001 2175 0319Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA ,grid.411023.50000 0000 9159 4457Present Address: Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210 USA
| | - Dennis R. Grayson
- grid.185648.60000 0001 2175 0319Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Mark Maienschein-Cline
- grid.185648.60000 0001 2175 0319Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA ,grid.185648.60000 0001 2175 0319Research Informatics Core, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Subhash C. Pandey
- grid.185648.60000 0001 2175 0319Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA ,grid.280892.90000 0004 0419 4711Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
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Egervari G, Siciliano CA, Whiteley EL, Ron D. Alcohol and the brain: from genes to circuits. Trends Neurosci 2021; 44:1004-1015. [PMID: 34702580 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use produces wide-ranging and diverse effects on the central nervous system. It influences intracellular signaling mechanisms, leading to changes in gene expression, chromatin remodeling, and translation. As a result of these molecular alterations, alcohol affects the activity of neuronal circuits. Together, these mechanisms produce long-lasting cellular adaptations in the brain that in turn can drive the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorder (AUD). We provide an update on alcohol research, focusing on multiple levels of alcohol-induced adaptations, from intracellular changes to changes in neural circuits. A better understanding of how alcohol affects these diverse and interlinked mechanisms may lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets and to the development of much-needed novel and efficacious treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabor Egervari
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Cody A Siciliano
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA.
| | - Ellanor L Whiteley
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Dorit Ron
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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8
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Rodriguez FD. Targeting Epigenetic Mechanisms to Treat Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD). Curr Pharm Des 2021; 27:3252-3272. [PMID: 33535943 PMCID: PMC8778698 DOI: 10.2174/1381612827666210203142539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The impact of abusive alcohol consumption on human health is remarkable. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 3.3 million people die annually because of harmful alcohol consumption (the figure represents around 5.9% of global deaths). Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic disease where individuals exhibit compulsive alcohol drinking and present negative emotional states when they do not drink. In the most severe manifestations of AUD, the individuals lose control over intake despite a decided will to stop drinking. Given the multiple faces and the specific forms of this disease, the term AUD often appears in the plural (AUDs). Since only a few approved pharmacological treatments are available to treat AUD and they do not apply to all individuals or AUD forms, the search for compounds that may help to eliminate the burden of the disease and complement other therapeutical approaches is necessary. METHODS This work reviews recent research focused on the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in the pathophysiology of AUD. Excessive drinking leads to chronic and compulsive consumption that eventually damages the organism. The central nervous system is a key target and is the focus of this study. The search for the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms behind the intricated dysregulation induced by ethanol will aid researchers in establishing new therapy approaches. CONCLUSION Recent findings in the field of epigenetics are essential and offer new windows for observation and research. The study of small molecules that inhibit key epienzymes involved in nucleosome architecture dynamics is necessary in order to prove their action and specificity in the laboratory and to test their effectivity and safety in clinical trials with selected patients bearing defined alterations caused by ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. David Rodriguez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Salamanca and Group GIR BMD (Bases Moleculares del Desarrollo), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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Sharma R, Mishra V, Parikh M, Soni A, Sahota P, Thakkar M. Antisense-induced knockdown of cAMP response element-binding protein downregulates Per1 gene expression in the shell region of nucleus accumbens resulting in reduced alcohol consumption in mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:1940-1949. [PMID: 34424532 PMCID: PMC8602740 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We recently showed that circadian genes expressed in the shell region of nucleus accumbens (NAcSh) play a key role in alcohol consumption, though, the molecular mechanism of those effects is unclear. Because CREB-binding protein (CBP) promotes Per1 gene expression, we hypothesized that alcohol consumption would increase CBP expression in the NAcSh and antisense-induced knockdown of CBP would reduce Per1 expression and result in a reduction in alcohol consumption. METHODS To test our hypothesis, we performed two experiments. The Drinking-in-the-dark (DID) paradigm was used to evaluate alcohol consumption in male C57BL/6J mice. In Experiment 1 we examined the effects of alcohol consumption on CBP gene expression in the NAcSh. Control animals were exposed to, sucrose [10% (w/v) taste and calorie] and water (consummatory behavior). In Experiment 2 examined the effects of CBP gene silencing on the expression of the Per1 gene in the NAcSh and alcohol consumption in mice exposed to alcohol using the DID paradigm. CBP gene silencing was achieved by local infusion of two doses of either CBP antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODNs; Antisense group) or nonsense ODNs (NS-ODNs; Nonsense group) bilaterally microinjected into the NAcSh within 24 h before alcohol consumption on Day 4 of the DID paradigm. The microinfusion sites were verified by cresyl violet staining. RESULTS Compared to sucrose, alcohol consumption, under the DID paradigm, significantly increased the expression of CBP in the NAcSh. Compared to Controls, bilateral infusion of CBP AS-ODNs significantly reduced the expression of Per1 in the NAcSh and alcohol consumption without affecting the amount of sucrose consumed. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that CBP is an upstream regulator of Per1 expression in the NAcSh and may act via Per1 to modulate alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishi Sharma
- Department of Neurology, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Vaibhav Mishra
- Department of Neurology, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Meet Parikh
- Department of Neurology, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Anshul Soni
- Department of Neurology, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Pradeep Sahota
- Department of Neurology, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Mahesh Thakkar
- Department of Neurology, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
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10
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Brocato E, Wolstenholme JT. Neuroepigenetic consequences of adolescent ethanol exposure. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 160:45-84. [PMID: 34696879 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2021.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a critical developmental period characterized by ongoing brain maturation processes including myelination and synaptic pruning. Adolescents experience heightened reward sensitivity, sensation seeking, impulsivity, and diminished inhibitory self-control, which contribute to increased participation in risky behaviors, including the initiation of alcohol use. Ethanol exposure in adolescence alters memory and cognition, anxiety-like behavior, and ethanol sensitivity as well as brain myelination and dendritic spine morphology, with effects lasting into adulthood. Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic modifications may explain these lasting effects. Focusing on the amygdala, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, we review studies investigating the epigenetic consequences of adolescent ethanol exposure. Ethanol metabolism globally increases donor substrates for histone acetylation and histone and DNA methylation, and this chapter discusses how this can further impact epigenetic programming of the adolescent brain. Elucidation of the mechanisms through which ethanol can alter the epigenetic code at specific transcripts may provide therapeutic targets for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Brocato
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Jennifer T Wolstenholme
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU-Alcohol Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.
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11
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Dulman RS, Zhang H, Banerjee R, Krishnan HR, Dong B, Hungund BL, Vinod KY, Pandey SC. CB1 receptor neutral antagonist treatment epigenetically increases neuropeptide Y expression and decreases alcohol drinking. Neuropharmacology 2021; 195:108623. [PMID: 34048869 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol consumption is mediated by several important neuromodulatory systems, including the endocannabinoid and neuropeptide Y (NPY) systems in the limbic brain circuitry. However, molecular mechanisms through which cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptors regulate alcohol consumption are still unclear. Here, we investigated the role of the CB1 receptor-mediated downstream regulation of NPY via epigenetic mechanisms in the amygdala. Alcohol drinking behavior was measured in adult male C57BL/6J mice treated with a CB1 receptor neutral antagonist AM4113 using a two-bottle choice paradigm while anxiety-like behavior was assessed in the light-dark box (LDB) test. The CB1 receptor-mediated changes in the protein levels of phosphorylated cAMP-responsive element binding protein (pCREB), CREB binding protein (CBP), H3K9ac, H3K14ac and NPY, and the mRNA levels of Creb1, Cbp, and Npy were measured in amygdaloid brain structures. Npy-specific changes in the levels of acetylated histone (H3K9/14ac) and CBP in the amygdala were also measured. We found that the pharmacological blockade of CB1 receptors with AM4113 reduced alcohol consumption and, in an ethanol-naïve cohort, reduced anxiety-like behavior in the LDB test. Treatment with AM4113 also increased the mRNA levels of Creb1 and Cbp in the amygdala as well as the protein levels of pCREB, CBP, H3K9ac and H3K14ac in the central and medial nucleus of amygdala, but not in the basolateral amygdala. Additionally, AM4113 treatment increased occupancy of CBP and H3K9/14ac at the Npy gene promoter, leading to an increase in both mRNA and protein levels of NPY in the amygdala. These novel findings suggest that CB1 receptor-mediated CREB signaling plays an important role in the modulation of NPY function through an epigenetic mechanism and further support the potential use of CB1 receptor neutral antagonists for the treatment of alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell S Dulman
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Huaibo Zhang
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Ritabrata Banerjee
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Harish R Krishnan
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Bin Dong
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
| | - Basalingappa L Hungund
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - K Yaragudri Vinod
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
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12
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Bohnsack JP, Pandey SC. Histone modifications, DNA methylation, and the epigenetic code of alcohol use disorder. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 156:1-62. [PMID: 33461661 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Despite AUD's substantial contributions to lost economic productivity and quality of life, there are only a limited number of approved drugs for treatment of AUD in the United States. This chapter will update progress made on the epigenetic basis of AUD, with particular focus on histone post-translational modifications and DNA methylation and how these two epigenetic mechanisms interact to contribute to neuroadaptive processes leading to initiation, maintenance and progression of AUD pathophysiology. We will also evaluate epigenetic therapeutic strategies that have arisen from preclinical models of AUD and epigenetic biomarkers that have been discovered in human populations with AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Peyton Bohnsack
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
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13
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Delta Event-Related Oscillations Are Related to a History of Extreme Binge Drinking in Adolescence and Lifetime Suicide Risk. Behav Sci (Basel) 2020; 10:bs10100154. [PMID: 33036364 PMCID: PMC7599813 DOI: 10.3390/bs10100154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol exposure typically begins in adolescence, and heavy binge drinking is associated with health risk behaviors. Event-related oscillations (EROs) may represent sensitive biomarkers or endophenotypes for early alcohol exposure as well as other risk behaviors such as suicidal thoughts and actions. In this study, young adults (age 18–30 years) of American Indian (AI) (n = 479) and Mexican American (MA) (n = 705) ancestry were clinically assessed, and EROs were generated to happy, sad and neutral faces. Extreme adolescent binge drinking (10+ drinks) was common (20%) in this population of AI/MA and associated with a significantly increased risk of a lifetime history of suicidal acts (SA, suicide attempts, deaths) but not suicidal thoughts (ST, ideation, plans). ST were reported among MA participants, whereas SA were more common among AI young adults. Extreme adolescent binge drinking was also associated with errors in detection of sad and neutral faces, increases in delta ERO energy, and decreases in phase locking (PL), particularly in parietal areas. A lifetime history of ST was associated with increases in delta ERO energy and PL, whereas SA were associated with decreases in both. These studies suggest that ERO measures may represent important potential biomarkers of adolescent extreme binge drinking and risk for suicidal behaviors.
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14
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Mathies LD, Lindsay JH, Handal AP, Blackwell GG, Davies AG, Bettinger JC. SWI/SNF complexes act through CBP-1 histone acetyltransferase to regulate acute functional tolerance to alcohol. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:646. [PMID: 32957927 PMCID: PMC7507291 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07059-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling genes are required for normal acute responses to alcohol in C. elegans and are associated with alcohol use disorder in two human populations. In an effort to discover the downstream genes that are mediating this effect, we identified SWI/SNF-regulated genes in C. elegans. Results To identify SWI/SNF-regulated genes in adults, we compared mRNA expression in wild type and swsn-1(os22ts) worms under conditions that produce inactive swsn-1 in mature cells. To identify SWI/SNF-regulated genes in neurons, we compared gene expression in swsn-9(ok1354) null mutant worms that harbor a neuronal rescue or a control construct. RNA sequencing was performed to an average depth of 25 million reads per sample using 50-base, paired-end reads. We found that 6813 transcripts were significantly differentially expressed between swsn-1(os22ts) mutants and wild-type worms and 2412 transcripts were significantly differentially expressed between swsn-9(ok1354) mutants and swsn-9(ok1354) mutants with neuronal rescue. We examined the intersection between these two datasets and identified 603 genes that were differentially expressed in the same direction in both comparisons; we defined these as SWI/SNF-regulated genes in neurons and in adults. Among the differentially expressed genes was cbp-1, a C. elegans homolog of the mammalian CBP/p300 family of histone acetyltransferases. CBP has been implicated in the epigenetic regulation in response to alcohol in animal models and a polymorphism in the human CBP gene, CREBBP, has been associated with alcohol-related phenotypes. We found that cbp-1 is required for the development of acute functional tolerance to alcohol in C. elegans. Conclusions We identified 603 transcripts that were regulated by two different SWI/SNF complex subunits in adults and in neurons. The SWI/SNF-regulated genes were highly enriched for genes involved in membrane rafts, suggesting an important role for this membrane microdomain in the acute alcohol response. Among the differentially expressed genes was cbp-1; CBP-1 homologs have been implicated in alcohol responses across phyla and we found that C. elegans cbp-1 was required for the acute alcohol response in worms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura D Mathies
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA.
| | - Jonathan H Lindsay
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Amal P Handal
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - GinaMari G Blackwell
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Andrew G Davies
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Jill C Bettinger
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
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15
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Montagud-Romero S, Cantacorps L, Valverde O. Histone deacetylases inhibitor trichostatin A reverses anxiety-like symptoms and memory impairments induced by maternal binge alcohol drinking in mice. J Psychopharmacol 2019; 33:1573-1587. [PMID: 31294671 DOI: 10.1177/0269881119857208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol exposure during development has detrimental effects, including a wide range of physical, cognitive and neurobehavioural anomalies known as foetal alcohol spectrum disorders. However, alcohol consumption among pregnant woman is an ongoing latent health problem. AIM In the present study, the effects of trichostatin A (TSA) on emotional and cognitive impairments caused by prenatal and lactational alcohol exposure were assessed. TSA is an inhibitor of class I and II histone deacetylases enzymes (HDAC), and for that, HDAC4 activity was determined. We also evaluated mechanisms underlying the behavioural effects observed, including the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in discrete brain regions and newly differentiated neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG). METHODS C57BL/6 female pregnant mice were used, with limited access to a 20% v/v alcohol solution as a procedure to model binge alcohol drinking during gestation and lactation. Male offspring were treated with TSA during the postnatal days (PD28-35) and behaviourally evaluated (PD36-55). RESULTS Early alcohol exposure mice presented increased anxiogenic-like responses and memory deterioration - effects that were partially reversed with TSA. Early alcohol exposure produces a decrease in BDNF levels in the hippocampus (HPC) and prefrontal cortex, a reduction of neurogenesis in the DG and increased activity levels of the HDAC4 in the HPC. CONCLUSIONS Such findings support the participation of HDAC enzymes in cognitive and emotional alterations induced by binge alcohol consumption during gestation and lactation and would indicate potential benefits of HDAC inhibitors for some aspects of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Montagud-Romero
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lídia Cantacorps
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olga Valverde
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.,IMIM-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Neurosciences Programme, Barcelona, Spain
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16
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Crews FT, Robinson DL, Chandler LJ, Ehlers CL, Mulholland PJ, Pandey SC, Rodd ZA, Spear LP, Swartzwelder HS, Vetreno RP. Mechanisms of Persistent Neurobiological Changes Following Adolescent Alcohol Exposure: NADIA Consortium Findings. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:1806-1822. [PMID: 31335972 PMCID: PMC6758927 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood (NADIA) Consortium has focused on the impact of adolescent binge drinking on brain development, particularly on effects that persist into adulthood. Adolescent binge drinking is common, and while many factors contribute to human brain development and alcohol use during adolescence, animal models are critical for understanding the specific consequences of alcohol exposure during this developmental period and the underlying mechanisms. Using adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure models, NADIA investigators identified long-lasting AIE-induced changes in adult behavior that are consistent with observations in humans, such as increased alcohol drinking, increased anxiety (particularly social anxiety), increased impulsivity, reduced behavioral flexibility, impaired memory, disrupted sleep, and altered responses to alcohol. These behavioral changes are associated with multiple molecular, cellular, and physiological alterations in the brain that persist long after AIE exposure. At the molecular level, AIE results in long-lasting changes in neuroimmune/trophic factor balance and epigenetic-microRNA (miRNA) signaling across glia and neurons. At the cellular level, AIE history is associated in adulthood with reduced expression of cholinergic, serotonergic, and dopaminergic neuron markers, attenuated cortical thickness, decreased neurogenesis, and altered dendritic spine and glial morphology. This constellation of molecular and cellular adaptations to AIE likely contributes to observed alterations in neurophysiology, measured by synaptic physiology, EEG patterns, and functional connectivity. Many of these AIE-induced brain changes replicate findings seen in postmortem brains of humans with alcohol use disorder (AUD). NADIA researchers are now elucidating mechanisms of these adaptations. Emerging data demonstrate that exercise, antiinflammatory drugs, anticholinesterases, histone deacetylase inhibitors, and other pharmacological compounds are able to prevent (administered during AIE) and/or reverse (given after AIE) AIE-induced pathology in adulthood. These studies support hypotheses that adolescent binge drinking increases risk of adult hazardous drinking and influences brain development, and may provide insight into novel therapeutic targets for AIE-induced neuropathology and AUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulton T Crews
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - L Judson Chandler
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Cindy L Ehlers
- Department of Neurosciences, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Patrick J Mulholland
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Zachary A Rodd
- Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Linda P Spear
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York
| | - H Scott Swartzwelder
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Ryan P Vetreno
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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17
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Kyzar EJ, Zhang H, Pandey SC. Adolescent Alcohol Exposure Epigenetically Suppresses Amygdala Arc Enhancer RNA Expression to Confer Adult Anxiety Susceptibility. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:904-914. [PMID: 30827484 PMCID: PMC6684056 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure is an emerging risk factor for adult psychopathology, such as anxiety disorders. Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs transcribed from enhancer regions that regulate synaptic plasticity-associated gene expression, including Arc, but their role in AIE-induced susceptibility to anxiety in adulthood is unknown. METHODS Rats were exposed to AIE (ethanol exposure 2 days on/off) or intermittent normal saline during postnatal days 28 to 41 and allowed to grow to adulthood for analysis of behavior and biochemical measures. Some AIE rats and rats with intermittent normal saline exposure were exposed to an acute challenge with ethanol in adulthood. Cohorts of alcohol-naïve adult rats were cannulated in the central nucleus of amygdala and infused with either Kdm6b small interfering RNA or an antisense locked nucleic acid oligonucleotide specific to Arc eRNA before behavioral and biochemical analysis. RESULTS AIE adult rats displayed heightened anxiety and decreased Arc eRNA expression, which is regulated epigenetically through decreased Kdm6b expression. This triggered condensed chromatin at the synaptic activity response element site and promoter of the Arc gene, facilitating increased negative elongation factor binding to the Arc promoter and decreasing Arc expression in the amygdala. Knockdown of Kdm6b or Arc eRNA expression in the central nucleus of amygdala provoked anxiety in alcohol-naïve adult rats and recapitulated the molecular and epigenetic phenotypes of AIE. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that eRNA regulation via epigenetic reprogramming in the amygdala, particularly at the Arc synaptic activity response element site, contributes to adult anxiety after adolescent alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan J Kyzar
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Huaibo Zhang
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
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18
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Dulman RS, Auta J, Teppen T, Pandey SC. Acute Ethanol Produces Ataxia and Induces Fmr1 Expression via Histone Modifications in the Rat Cerebellum. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:1191-1198. [PMID: 30969437 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cerebellum is fundamental for motor coordination and therefore crucial in ethanol (EtOH)-induced ataxia. EtOH contributes to cerebellar pathophysiology. Fragile-X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is a complex regulator of RNA and synaptic plasticity implicated in fragile-X tremor and ataxia syndrome, a phenotype featuring increased Fmr1 mRNA expression. Recent studies have implicated glutamatergic targets of FMRP in hereditary cerebellar ataxias including the main cerebellar excitatory amino acid (Eaa1) transporter and a subtype of metabotropic glutamate receptor (Grm5). However, EtOH-induced changes in cerebellar Fmr1 expression and its epigenetic regulation have not been investigated. Here, we examined the effects of acute EtOH exposure on ataxic behavior, gene expression, and epigenetic regulation of the Fmr1 gene and its glutamatergic targets in the rat cerebellum. METHODS Male adult Sprague Dawley rats received acute EtOH (2 g/kg) intraperitoneally 1 hour prior to ataxic behavioral testing on the accelerating rotarod and were sacrificed immediately thereafter. Cerebellar tissues were analyzed for gene expression and epigenetic regulation of the Fmr1 gene and its glutamatergic targets in the rat cerebellum using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and chromatin immunoprecipitation. RESULTS Acute EtOH exposure caused marked ataxia on the accelerating rotarod test compared with saline-treated controls. This ataxic response was associated with increases in mRNA levels of Fmr1, postsynaptic density 95 (Psd95), Eaa1, and Grm5 in the cerebellum. In addition, we found increased H3K27 acetylation both at the promoter region of Fmr1 and at a proposed cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response-element binding (CREB) site downstream of the Fmr1 transcription start site. Furthermore, acute EtOH exposure significantly increased Creb1 and the histone acetyltransferases (HAT) CREB binding protein (Cbp), and p300 mRNA transcripts. CONCLUSIONS Overall, EtOH regulates cerebellar Fmr1 expression most likely via HAT-mediated increase in histone acetylation. We propose that FMRP regulation of glutamatergic transcripts plays an important role in disrupting the excitatory-inhibitory balance in the cerebellum underlying EtOH-induced ataxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell S Dulman
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - James Auta
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Tara Teppen
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
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19
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Chen SJ, Liao DL, Chen CH, Wang TY, Chen KC. Construction and Analysis of Protein-Protein Interaction Network of Heroin Use Disorder. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4980. [PMID: 30899073 PMCID: PMC6428805 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41552-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Heroin use disorder (HUD) is a complex disease resulting from interactions among genetic and other factors (e.g., environmental factors). The mechanism of HUD development remains unknown. Newly developed network medicine tools provide a platform for exploring complex diseases at the system level. This study proposes that protein–protein interactions (PPIs), particularly those among proteins encoded by casual or susceptibility genes, are extremely crucial for HUD development. The giant component of our constructed PPI network comprised 111 nodes with 553 edges, including 16 proteins with large degree (k) or high betweenness centrality (BC), which were further identified as the backbone of the network. JUN with the largest degree was suggested to be central to the PPI network associated with HUD. Moreover, PCK1 with the highest BC and MAPK14 with the secondary largest degree and 9th highest BC might be involved in the development HUD and other substance diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaw-Ji Chen
- Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taitung Branch, Taiwan
| | - Ding-Lieh Liao
- Bali Psychiatric Center, Department of Health, Executive Yuan, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hsiang Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Tse-Yi Wang
- Department of Medical Informatics, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Kuang-Chi Chen
- Department of Medical Informatics, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
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20
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Bohnsack JP, Teppen T, Kyzar EJ, Dzitoyeva S, Pandey SC. The lncRNA BDNF-AS is an epigenetic regulator in the human amygdala in early onset alcohol use disorders. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:34. [PMID: 30728347 PMCID: PMC6365546 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0367-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescent alcohol drinking is known to contribute to the development and severity of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) later in adulthood. Recent studies have shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are critical for brain development and synaptic plasticity. One such lncRNA is natural occurring brain-derived neurotrophic factor antisense (BDNF-AS) that has been shown to regulate BDNF expression. The role of BDNF-AS lncRNA in the molecular mechanisms of AUD is unknown. Here, we evaluated the expression and functional role of BDNF-AS in postmortem amygdala of either early onset or late onset alcoholics (individuals who began drinking before or after 21 years of age, respectively) and age-matched control subjects. BDNF-AS expression is increased in early onset but not in late onset AUD amygdala and appears to be regulated epitranscriptomically via decreased N6-methyladenosine on BDNF-AS. Upregulation of BDNF-AS is associated with a significant decrease in BDNF expression and increased recruitment of EZH2, which deposits repressive H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) at regulatory regions in the BDNF gene in the early onset AUD group. Drinking during adolescence also contributed to significant decreases in activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (ARC) expression which also appeared to be mediated by increased EZH2 deposition of repressive H3K27me3 at the ARC synaptic activity response element. These results suggest an important role for BDNF-AS in the regulation of synaptic plasticity via epigenetic reprogramming in the amygdala of AUD subjects who began drinking during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Peyton Bohnsack
- 0000 0001 2175 0319grid.185648.6Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Tara Teppen
- 0000 0001 2175 0319grid.185648.6Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA ,grid.280892.9Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Evan J. Kyzar
- 0000 0001 2175 0319grid.185648.6Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA ,grid.280892.9Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Svetlana Dzitoyeva
- 0000 0001 2175 0319grid.185648.6Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Subhash C. Pandey
- 0000 0001 2175 0319grid.185648.6Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA ,grid.280892.9Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612 USA ,0000 0001 2175 0319grid.185648.6Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
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Berkel TDM, Zhang H, Teppen T, Sakharkar AJ, Pandey SC. Essential Role of Histone Methyltransferase G9a in Rapid Tolerance to the Anxiolytic Effects of Ethanol. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2018; 22:292-302. [PMID: 30590608 PMCID: PMC6441132 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyy102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tolerance to ethanol-induced anxiolysis promotes alcohol intake, thus contributing to alcohol use disorder development. Recent studies implicate histone deacetylase-mediated histone H3K9 deacetylation in regulating neuropeptide Y expression during rapid ethanol tolerance to the anxiolytic effects of ethanol. Furthermore, the histone methyltransferase, G9a, and G9a-mediated H3K9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) have recently emerged as regulators of addiction and anxiety; however, their role in rapid ethanol tolerance is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the role of G9a-mediated H3K9me2 in neuropeptide Y expression during rapid ethanol tolerance. METHODS Adult male rats were administered one injection of n-saline followed by single acute ethanol injection (1 g/kg) 24 hours later (ethanol group) or 2 injections (24 hours apart) of either n-saline (saline group) or ethanol (tolerance group). Anxiety-like behaviors and global and Npy-specific G9a and H3K9me2 levels in the amygdala were measured. Effects of G9a inhibitor (UNC0642) treatment on behavioral and epigenetic measures were also examined. RESULTS Acute ethanol produced anxiolysis and decreased global H3K9me2 and G9a protein levels in the central and medial nucleus of the amygdala as well as decreased occupancy levels of H3K9me2 and G9a near a putative binding site for cAMP-response element binding protein on the Npy gene. Two identical doses of ethanol produced no behavioral or epigenetic changes relative to controls, indicating development of rapid ethanol tolerance. Interestingly, treatment with UNC0642, before the second ethanol dose reversed rapid ethanol tolerance, decreased global H3K9me2 and increased neuropeptide Y levels in the central and medial nucleus of the amygdala. CONCLUSIONS These results implicate amygdaloid G9a-mediated H3K9me2 mechanisms in regulating rapid tolerance to the anxiolytic effects of ethanol via neuropeptide Y expression regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffani D M Berkel
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois,Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Huaibo Zhang
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois,Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Tara Teppen
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois,Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Amul J Sakharkar
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois,Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois,Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois,Correspondence: Subhash C. Pandey, PhD, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago; and Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 1601 West Taylor Street (m/c 912), Chicago, IL 60612 ()
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