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Tunc-Ozcan E, Ferreira AB, Redei EE. Modeling Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Validating an Ex Vivo Primary Hippocampal Cell Culture System. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 40:1273-82. [PMID: 27162054 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the leading nongenetic cause of mental retardation. There are no treatments for FASD to date. Preclinical in vivo and in vitro studies could help in identifying novel drug targets as for other diseases. Here, we describe an ex vivo model that combines the physiological advantages of prenatal ethanol (EtOH) exposure in vivo with the uniformity of primary fetal hippocampal culture to characterize the effects of prenatal EtOH. The insulin signaling pathways are known to be involved in hippocampal functions. Therefore, we compared the expression of insulin signaling pathway genes between fetal hippocampi (in vivo) and primary hippocampal culture (ex vivo). The similarity of prenatal EtOH effects in these 2 paradigms would deem the ex vivo culture acceptable to screen possible treatments for FASD. METHODS Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received 1 of 3 diets: ad libitum standard laboratory chow (control-C), isocaloric pair-fed (nutritional control), and EtOH containing liquid diets from gestational day (GD) 8. Fetal male and female hippocampi were collected either on GD21 (in vivo) or on GD18 for primary culture (ex vivo). Transcript levels of Igf2, Igf2r, Insr, Grb10, Rasgrf1, and Zac1 were measured by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Hippocampal transcript levels differed by prenatal treatment in both males and females with sex differences observed in the expression of Igf2 and Insr. The effect of prenatal EtOH on the hippocampal expression of the insulin pathway genes was parallel in the in vivo and the ex vivo conditions. CONCLUSIONS The similarity of gene expression changes in response to prenatal EtOH between the in vivo and the ex vivo conditions ascertains that these effects are already set in the fetal hippocampus at GD18. This strengthens the feasibility of the ex vivo primary hippocampal culture as a tool to test and screen candidate drug targets for FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Tunc-Ozcan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Asher Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Adriana B Ferreira
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Eva E Redei
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Asher Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
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Combes RD, Balls M. A critical assessment of the scientific basis, and implementation, of regulations for the safety assessment and marketing of innovative tobacco-related products. Altern Lab Anim 2015; 43:251-90. [PMID: 26375889 DOI: 10.1177/026119291504300406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Our scientific, logistical, ethical and animal welfare-related concerns about the latest US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for existing and so-called 'new' tobacco products, aimed at reducing harmful exposures, are explained. Such claims for sales in the USA now have to be based on a wide range of information, a key part of which will increasingly be data on safety and risk. One of the pathways to achieve marketing authorisation is to demonstrate substantial equivalence (SE) with benchmark products, called predicates. However, the regulations are insufficiently transparent with regard to: a) a rationale for the cut-off date for 'old' and 'new' products, and for exempting the former from regulation; b) the scientific validity and operation of SE; c) options for product labelling to circumvent SE; d) the experimental data required to support, and criteria to judge, a claim; and e) a strategy for risk assessment/management. Scientific problems related to the traditional animal methods used in respiratory disease and inhalation toxicology, and the use of quantitative comparators of toxicity, such as the No Observed Adverse Effect Level, are discussed. We review the advantages of relevant in vitro, mechanism-based, target tissue-oriented technologies, which an advisory report of the Institute of Medicine of the US National Academy of Sciences largely overlooked. These benefits include: a) the availability, for every major site in the respiratory tract, of organotypic human cell-based tissue culture systems, many of which are already being used by the industry; b) the accurate determination of concentrations of test materials received by target cells; c) methods for exposure to particulate and vapour phases of smoke, separately or combined; d) the ability to study tissue-specific biotransformation; and e) the use of modern, human-focused methodologies, unaffected by species differences. How data extrapolation, for risk assessment, from tissue culture to the whole animal, could be addressed, is also discussed. A cost (to animal welfare)-benefit (to society, including industry and consumers) analysis was conducted, taking into account the above information; the potential for animal suffering; the extensive data already available; the existence of other, less hazardous forms of nicotine delivery; the fact that much data will be generated solely for benchmarking; and that many smokers (especially nicotine-dependents) ignore health warnings. It is concluded that, in common with policies of several tobacco companies and countries, the use of laboratory animals for tobacco testing is very difficult, if not impossible, to justify. Instead, we propose and argue for an integrated testing scheme, starting with extensive chemical analysis of the ingredients and by-products associated with the use of tobacco products and their toxicity, followed by use of in vitro systems and early clinical studies (involving specific biomarkers) with weight-of-evidence assessments at each stage. Appropriate adjustment factors could be developed to enable concentration-response data obtained in vitro, with the other information generated by the strategy, to enable the FDA to meet its objectives. It is hoped that our intentionally provocative ideas will stimulate further debate on this contentious area of regulatory testing and public safety.
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McClintick JN, Brooks AI, Deng L, Liang L, Wang JC, Kapoor M, Xuei X, Foroud T, Tischfield JA, Edenberg HJ. Ethanol treatment of lymphoblastoid cell lines from alcoholics and non-alcoholics causes many subtle changes in gene expression. Alcohol 2014; 48:603-10. [PMID: 25129674 PMCID: PMC4730944 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2014.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
To elucidate the effects of a controlled exposure to ethanol on gene expression, we studied lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from 21 alcoholics and 21 controls. We cultured each cell line for 24 h with and without 75 mM ethanol and measured gene expression using microarrays. Differences in expression between LCLs from alcoholics and controls included 13 genes previously identified as associated with alcoholism or related traits, including KCNA3, DICER1, ZNF415, CAT, SLC9A9, and PPARGC1B. The paired design allowed us to detect very small changes due to ethanol treatment: ethanol altered the expression of 37% of the probe sets (51% of the unique named genes) expressed in these LCLs, most by modest amounts. Ninety-nine percent of the named genes expressed in the LCLs were also expressed in brain. Key pathways affected by ethanol include cytokine, TNF, and NFκB signaling. Among the genes affected by ethanol were ANK3, EPHB1, SLC1A1, SLC9A9, NRD1, and SH3BP5, which were reported to be associated with alcoholism or related phenotypes in 2 genome-wide association studies. Genes that either differed in expression between alcoholics and controls or were affected by ethanol exposure are candidates for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanette N McClintick
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Andrew I Brooks
- Department of Genetics and the Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Li Deng
- Department of Genetics and the Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Li Liang
- Department of Genetics and the Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Jen C Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, B8134, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Manav Kapoor
- Department of Psychiatry, B8134, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Xiaoling Xuei
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Tatiana Foroud
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jay A Tischfield
- Department of Genetics and the Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Howard J Edenberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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Farris SP, Miles MF. Ethanol modulation of gene networks: implications for alcoholism. Neurobiol Dis 2012; 45:115-21. [PMID: 21536129 PMCID: PMC3158275 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2011.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2011] [Revised: 04/11/2011] [Accepted: 04/13/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcoholism is a complex disease caused by a confluence of environmental and genetic factors influencing multiple brain pathways to produce a variety of behavioral sequelae, including addiction. Genetic factors contribute to over 50% of the risk for alcoholism and recent evidence points to a large number of genes with small effect sizes as the likely molecular basis for this disease. Recent progress in genomics (microarrays or RNA-Seq) and genetics has led to the identification of a large number of potential candidate genes influencing ethanol behaviors or alcoholism itself. To organize this complex information, investigators have begun to focus on the contribution of gene networks, rather than individual genes, for various ethanol-induced behaviors in animal models or behavioral endophenotypes comprising alcoholism. This chapter reviews some of the methods used for constructing gene networks from genomic data and some of the recent progress made in applying such approaches to the study of the neurobiology of ethanol. We show that rapid technology development in gathering genomic data, together with sophisticated experimental design and a growing collection of analysis tools are producing novel insights for understanding the molecular basis of alcoholism and that such approaches promise new opportunities for therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean P Farris
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
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Transcriptome analysis of nicotine-exposed cells from the brainstem of neonate spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar Kyoto rats. THE PHARMACOGENOMICS JOURNAL 2009; 10:134-60. [DOI: 10.1038/tpj.2009.42] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Abstract
Ethanol produces a wide variety of behavioral and physiological effects in the body, but exactly how it acts to produce these effects is still poorly understood. Although ethanol was long believed to act nonspecifically through the disordering of lipids in cell membranes, proteins are at the core of most current theories of its mechanisms of action. Although ethanol affects various biochemical processes such as neurotransmitter release, enzyme function, and ion channel kinetics, we are only beginning to understand the specific molecular sites to which ethanol molecules bind to produce these myriad effects. For most effects of ethanol characterized thus far, it is unknown whether the protein whose function is being studied actually binds ethanol, or if alcohol is instead binding to another protein that then indirectly affects the functioning of the protein being studied. In this Review, we describe criteria that should be considered when identifying alcohol binding sites and highlight a number of proteins for which there exists considerable molecular-level evidence for distinct ethanol binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Adron Harris
- Section of Neurobiology and Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Institutes for Neuroscience and Cell & Molecular Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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Marczak ED, Jinsmaa Y, Li T, Bryant SD, Tsuda Y, Okada Y, Lazarus LH. [N-allyl-Dmt1]-endomorphins are micro-opioid receptor antagonists lacking inverse agonist properties. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2007; 323:374-80. [PMID: 17626793 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.107.125807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
[N-allyl-Dmt1]-endomorphin-1 and -2 ([N-allyl-Dmt1]-EM-1 and -2) are new selective micro-opioid receptor antagonists obtained by N-alkylation with an allyl group on the amino terminus of 2',6'-dimethyl-L-tyrosine (Dmt) derivatives. To further characterize properties of these compounds, their intrinsic activities were assessed by functional guanosine 5'-O-(3-[35S]thiotriphosphate) binding assays and forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in cell membranes obtained from vehicle, morphine, and ethanol-treated SK-N-SH cells and brain membranes isolated from naive and morphine-dependent mice; their mode of action was compared with naloxone or naltrexone, which both are standard nonspecific opioid-receptor antagonists. [N-allyl-Dmt1]-EM-1 and -2 were neutral antagonists under all of the experimental conditions examined, in contrast to naloxone and naltrexone, which behave as neutral antagonists only in membranes from vehicle-treated cells and mice but act as inverse agonists in membranes from morphine- and ethanol-treated cells as well as morphine-treated mice. Both endomorphin analogs inhibited the naloxone- and naltrexone-elicited withdrawal syndromes from acute morphine dependence in mice. This suggests their potential therapeutic application in the treatment of drug addiction and alcohol abuse without the adverse effects observed with inverse agonist alkaloid-derived compounds that produce severe withdrawal symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa D Marczak
- Medicinal Chemistry Group, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Chemistry, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, P.O. Box 12233, MD C304, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
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Vadasz C, Saito M, O'Brien D, Zavadil J, Morahan G, Chakraborty G, Wang R. Ventral Tegmental Transcriptome Response to Intermittent Nicotine Treatment and Withdrawal in BALB/cJ, C57BL/6ByJ, and Quasi-Congenic RQI Mice. Neurochem Res 2007; 32:457-80. [PMID: 17268848 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-006-9250-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2006] [Accepted: 10/05/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify neurochemical pathways and candidate genes involved in adaptation to nicotine treatment and withdrawal. Locomotor sensitization was assessed in a nicotine challenge test after exposure to intermittent nicotine treatment and withdrawal. About 24 h after the challenge test the ventral tegmentum of the mesencephaion was dissected and processed using oligonucleotide microarrays with 22,690 probe sets (Affymetrix 430A 2.0). Quasi-congenic RQI, and donor BALB/cJ mice developed significant locomotor sensitization, while sensitization was not significant in the background partner, C57BL/6By. Comparing saline treated controls of C57BL/6ByJ and BALB/cJ by a rigorous statistical microarray analysis method we identified 238 differentially expressed transcripts. Quasi-congenic strains B6.Cb4i5-alpha4/Vad and B6.Ib5i7-beta25A/Vad significantly differed from the background strain in 11 and 11 transcripts, respectively. Identification of several cis- and trans-regulated genes indicates that further work with quasi-congenic strains can quickly lead to mapping of Quantitative Trait Loci for nicotine susceptibility because donor chromosome regions have been mapped in quasi-congenic strains. Nicotine treatment significantly altered the abundance of 41, 29, 54, and 14 ventral tegmental transcripts in strains C57BL/6ByJ, BALB/cJ, B6.Cb4i5-alpha4/Vad, and B6.Ib5i7-beta25A/Vad, respectively. Although transcript sets overlapped to some extent, each strain showed a distinct profile of nicotine sensitive genes, indicating genetic effects on nicotine-induced gene expression. Nicotine-responsive genes were related to processes including regulation of signal transduction, intracellular protein transport, proteasomal ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolism, and neuropeptide signaling pathway. Our results suggest that while there are common regulatory mechanisms across inbred strains, even relatively small differences in genetic constitution can significantly affect transcriptome response to nicotine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Vadasz
- Laboratory of Neurobehavioral Genetics, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA.
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Prescott CA, Madden PAF, Stallings MC. Challenges in genetic studies of the etiology of substance use and substance use disorders: introduction to the special issue. Behav Genet 2006; 36:473-82. [PMID: 16710779 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-006-9072-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2006] [Accepted: 03/14/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Misuse of psychoactive substances is associated with substantial costs to users and to society. A growing literature suggests individual differences in vulnerability to develop substance related problems are influenced to a large degree by genetic factors. We review the evidence from genetic epidemiologic and molecular genetic studies of problematic use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, then discuss the challenges for the next generation of studies of genetic influences on substance use. These challenges are addressed in the remaining papers of this special issue. The papers cover a variety of approaches, substances, and non-human as well as human studies, but are united by their focus on going beyond heritability estimates to address the mechanisms and processes underlying the development of substance use and substance related problems, including measurement, precursors of substance abuse, stages of substance involvement, and specificity of genetic influences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol A Prescott
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, SGM 501, Los Angeles, CA, 90036, USA.
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