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Lim Y, Beane-Ebel JE, Tanaka Y, Ning B, Husted CR, Henderson DC, Xiang Y, Park IH, Farrer LA, Zhang H. Exploration of alcohol use disorder-associated brain miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:504. [PMID: 34601489 PMCID: PMC8487426 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01635-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptomic changes in specific brain regions can influence the risk of alcohol use disorder (AUD), but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. We investigated AUD-associated miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in multiple brain regions by analyzing transcriptomic changes in two sets of postmortem brain tissue samples and ethanol-exposed human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived cortical interneurons. miRNA and mRNA transcriptomes were profiled in 192 tissue samples (Set 1) from eight brain regions (amygdala, caudate nucleus, cerebellum, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, putamen, and ventral tegmental area) of 12 AUD and 12 control European Australians. Nineteen differentially expressed miRNAs (fold-change>2.0 & P < 0.05) and 97 differentially expressed mRNAs (fold-change>2.0 & P < 0.001) were identified in one or multiple brain regions of AUD subjects. AUD-associated miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in each brain region were constructed using differentially expressed and negatively correlated miRNA-mRNA pairs. AUD-relevant pathways (including CREB Signaling, IL-8 Signaling, and Axonal Guidance Signaling) were potentially regulated by AUD-associated brain miRNA-mRNA pairs. Moreover, miRNA and mRNA transcriptomes were mapped in additional 96 tissue samples (Set 2) from six of the above eight brain regions of eight AUD and eight control European Australians. Some of the AUD-associated miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks were confirmed. In addition, miRNA and mRNA transcriptomes were analyzed in hESC-derived cortical interneurons with or without ethanol exposure, and ethanol-influenced miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks were constructed. This study provided evidence that alcohol could induce concerted miRNA and mRNA expression changes in reward-related or alcohol-responsive brain regions. We concluded that altered brain miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks might contribute to AUD development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yolpanhchana Lim
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- The Bioinformatics Program, Boston University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer E Beane-Ebel
- Section of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yoshiaki Tanaka
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Medicine, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Boting Ning
- Section of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher R Husted
- Section of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David C Henderson
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yangfei Xiang
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - In-Hyun Park
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lindsay A Farrer
- Section of Biomedical Genetics, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Huiping Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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Siemsen BM, Landin JD, McFaddin JA, Hooker KN, Chandler LJ, Scofield MD. Chronic intermittent ethanol and lipopolysaccharide exposure differentially alter Iba1-derived microglia morphology in the prelimbic cortex and nucleus accumbens core of male Long-Evans rats. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:1922-1939. [PMID: 32621337 PMCID: PMC7779701 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence has linked pathological changes associated with chronic alcohol exposure to neuroimmune signaling mediated by microglia. Prior characterization of the microglial structure-function relationship demonstrates that alterations in activity states occur concomitantly with reorganization of cellular architecture. Accordingly, gaining a better understanding of microglial morphological changes associated with ethanol exposure will provide valuable insight into how neuroimmune signaling may contribute to ethanol-induced reshaping of neuronal function. Here we have used Iba1-staining combined with high-resolution confocal imaging and 3D reconstruction to examine microglial structure in the prelimbic (PL) cortex and nucleus accumbens (NAc) in male Long-Evans rats. Rats were either sacrificed at peak withdrawal following 15 days of exposure to chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) or 24 hr after two consecutive injections of the immune activator lipopolysaccharide (LPS), each separated by 24 hr. LPS exposure resulted in dramatic structural reorganization of microglia in the PL cortex, including increased soma volume, overall cellular volume, and branching complexity. In comparison, CIE exposure was associated with a subtle increase in somatic volume and differential effects on microglia processes, which were largely absent in the NAc. These data reveal that microglial activation following a neuroimmune challenge with LPS or exposure to chronic alcohol exhibits distinct morphometric profiles and brain region-dependent specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M. Siemsen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Justine D. Landin
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jon A. McFaddin
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Kaylee N. Hooker
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Lawrence J. Chandler
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Michael D. Scofield
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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Israel Y, Quintanilla ME, Ezquer F, Morales P, Santapau D, Berríos‐Cárcamo P, Ezquer M, Olivares B, Herrera‐Marschitz M. Aspirin and N-acetylcysteine co-administration markedly inhibit chronic ethanol intake and block relapse binge drinking: Role of neuroinflammation-oxidative stress self-perpetuation. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e12853. [PMID: 31733014 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Chronic alcohol intake leads to neuroinflammation and cell injury, proposed to result in alterations that perpetuate alcohol intake and cued relapse. Studies show that brain oxidative stress is consistently associated with alcohol-induced neuroinflammation, and literature implies that oxidative stress and neuroinflammation perpetuate each other. In line with a self-perpetuating mechanism, it is hypothesized that inhibition of either oxidative stress or neuroinflammation could reduce chronic alcohol intake and relapse. The present study conducted on alcohol-preferring rats shows that chronic ethanol intake was inhibited by 50% to 55% by the oral administration of low doses of either the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (40 mg/kg/d) or the anti-inflammatory aspirin (ASA; 15 mg/kg/d), while the co-administration of both dugs led to a 70% to 75% (P < .001) inhibition of chronic alcohol intake. Following chronic alcohol intake, a prolonged alcohol deprivation, and subsequent alcohol re-access, relapse drinking resulted in blood alcohol levels of 95 to 100 mg/dL in 60 minutes, which were reduced by 60% by either N-acetylcysteine or aspirin and by 85% by the co-administration of both drugs (blood alcohol: 10 to 15 mg/dL; P < .001). Alcohol intake either on the chronic phase or following deprivation and re-access led to a 50% reduction of cortical glutamate transporter GLT-1 levels, while aspirin administration fully returned GLT-1 to normal levels. N-acetylcysteine administration did not alter GLT-1 levels, while N-acetylcysteine may activate the cystine/glutamate transport xCT, presynaptically inhibiting relapse. Overall, the study suggests that a neuroinflammation/oxidative stress self-perpetuation cycle maintains chronic alcohol intake and relapse drinking. The co-administration of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents may have translational value in alcohol-use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yedy Israel
- Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine University of Chile Santiago Chile
| | - María Elena Quintanilla
- Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine University of Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Fernando Ezquer
- Centro de Medicina Regenerativa, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Desarrollo Santiago Chile
| | - Paola Morales
- Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine University of Chile Santiago Chile
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine University of Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Daniela Santapau
- Centro de Medicina Regenerativa, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Desarrollo Santiago Chile
| | - Pablo Berríos‐Cárcamo
- Centro de Medicina Regenerativa, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Desarrollo Santiago Chile
| | - Marcelo Ezquer
- Centro de Medicina Regenerativa, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Desarrollo Santiago Chile
| | - Belen Olivares
- Centro de Química Médica, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo Santiago Chile
| | - Mario Herrera‐Marschitz
- Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine University of Chile Santiago Chile
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Drake J, McMichael GO, Vornholt ES, Cresswell K, Williamson V, Chatzinakos C, Mamdani M, Hariharan S, Kendler KS, Kalsi G, Riley BP, Dozmorov M, Miles MF, Bacanu S, Vladimirov VI. Assessing the Role of Long Noncoding RNA in Nucleus Accumbens in Subjects With Alcohol Dependence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:2468-2480. [PMID: 33067813 PMCID: PMC7756309 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) have been implicated in the etiology of alcohol use. Since lncRNA provide another layer of complexity to the transcriptome, assessing their expression in the brain is the first critical step toward understanding lncRNA functions in alcohol use and addiction. Thus, we sought to profile lncRNA expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in a large postmortem alcohol brain sample. METHODS LncRNA and protein-coding gene (PCG) expressions in the NAc from 41 subjects with alcohol dependence (AD) and 41 controls were assessed via a regression model. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis was used to identify lncRNA and PCG networks (i.e., modules) significantly correlated with AD. Within the significant modules, key network genes (i.e., hubs) were also identified. The lncRNA and PCG hubs were correlated via Pearson correlations to elucidate the potential biological functions of lncRNA. The lncRNA and PCG hubs were further integrated with GWAS data to identify expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). RESULTS At Bonferroni adj. p-value ≤ 0.05, we identified 19 lncRNA and 5 PCG significant modules, which were enriched for neuronal and immune-related processes. In these modules, we further identified 86 and 315 PCG and lncRNA hubs, respectively. At false discovery rate (FDR) of 10%, the correlation analyses between the lncRNA and PCG hubs revealed 3,125 positive and 1,860 negative correlations. Integration of hubs with genotype data identified 243 eQTLs affecting the expression of 39 and 204 PCG and lncRNA hubs, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our study identified lncRNA and gene networks significantly associated with AD in the NAc, coordinated lncRNA and mRNA coexpression changes, highlighting potentially regulatory functions for the lncRNA, and our genetic (cis-eQTL) analysis provides novel insights into the etiological mechanisms of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Drake
- From the Center for Integrative Life Sciences Education (JD)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
| | - Gowon O. McMichael
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics(GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S‐AB, VIV)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
| | - Eric Sean Vornholt
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics(GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S‐AB, VIV)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
| | - Kellen Cresswell
- Department of Biostatistics(KC, MD)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
| | - Vernell Williamson
- Department of Pathology(VW)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
| | - Chris Chatzinakos
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics(GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S‐AB, VIV)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
| | - Mohammed Mamdani
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics(GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S‐AB, VIV)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
| | - Siddharth Hariharan
- Summer Research Fellowship(SH)School of MedicineVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
| | - Kenneth S. Kendler
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics(GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S‐AB, VIV)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
- Department of Psychiatry(KSK, BPR, S‐AB, VIV)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics(KSK, BPR)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
| | - Gursharan Kalsi
- Department of Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry(GK)Institute of PsychiatryLondonUK
| | - Brien P. Riley
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics(GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S‐AB, VIV)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
- Department of Psychiatry(KSK, BPR, S‐AB, VIV)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics(KSK, BPR)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
| | - Mikhail Dozmorov
- Department of Biostatistics(KC, MD)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
| | - Michael F. Miles
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics(GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S‐AB, VIV)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology(MFM)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
| | - Silviu‐Alin Bacanu
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics(GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S‐AB, VIV)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
- Department of Psychiatry(KSK, BPR, S‐AB, VIV)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
| | - Vladimir I. Vladimirov
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics(GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S‐AB, VIV)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
- Department of Psychiatry(KSK, BPR, S‐AB, VIV)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
- Center for Biomarker Research and Personalized Medicine(VIV)Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginia
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development(VIV)Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMaryland
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Kozell LB, Lockwood D, Darakjian P, Edmunds S, Shepherdson K, Buck KJ, Hitzemann R. RNA-Seq Analysis of Genetic and Transcriptome Network Effects of Dual-Trait Selection for Ethanol Preference and Withdrawal Using SOT and NOT Genetic Models. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:820-830. [PMID: 32090358 PMCID: PMC7169974 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic factors significantly affect alcohol consumption and vulnerability to withdrawal. Furthermore, some genetic models showing predisposition to severe withdrawal are also predisposed to low ethanol (EtOH) consumption and vice versa, even when tested independently in naïve animals. METHODS Beginning with a C57BL/6J × DBA/2J F2 intercross founder population, animals were simultaneously selectively bred for both high alcohol consumption and low acute withdrawal (SOT line), or vice versa (NOT line). Using randomly chosen fourth selected generation (S4) mice (N = 18-22/sex/line), RNA-Seq was employed to assess genome-wide gene expression in ventral striatum. The MegaMUGA array was used to detect genome-wide genotypic differences. Differential gene expression and the weighted gene co-expression network analysis were implemented as described elsewhere (Genes Brain Behav 16, 2017, 462). RESULTS The new selection of the SOT and NOT lines was similar to that reported previously (Alcohol Clin Exp Res 38, 2014, 2915). One thousand eight hundred and sixteen transcripts were detected as differentially expressed between the lines. For genes more highly expressed in the SOT line, there was enrichment in genes associated with cell adhesion, synapse organization, and postsynaptic membrane. The genes with a cell adhesion annotation included 23 protocadherins, Mpdz and Dlg2. Genes with a postsynaptic membrane annotation included Gabrb3, Gphn, Grid1, Grin2b, Grin2c, and Grm3. The genes more highly expressed in the NOT line were enriched in a network module (red) with annotations associated with mitochondrial function. Several of these genes were module hub nodes, and these included Nedd8, Guk1, Elof1, Ndufa8, and Atp6v1f. CONCLUSIONS Marked effects of selection on gene expression were detected. The NOT line was characterized by higher expression of hub nodes associated with mitochondrial function. Genes more highly expressed in the SOT aligned with previous findings, for example, Colville and colleagues (Genes Brain Behav 16, 2017, 462) that both high EtOH preference and consumption are associated with effects on cell adhesion and glutamate synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Kozell
- From the, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Denesa Lockwood
- From the, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Priscila Darakjian
- From the, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Stephanie Edmunds
- From the, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Karen Shepherdson
- From the, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Kari J Buck
- From the, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Robert Hitzemann
- From the, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
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McClintick JN, Tischfield JA, Deng L, Kapoor M, Xuei X, Edenberg HJ. Ethanol activates immune response in lymphoblastoid cells. Alcohol 2019; 79:81-91. [PMID: 30639126 PMCID: PMC6616005 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The short-term effects of alcohol on gene expression in brain tissue cannot directly be studied in humans. Because neuroimmune signaling is altered by alcohol, immune cells are a logical, accessible choice to study and may provide biomarkers. RNAseq was used to study the effects of 48-h exposure to ethanol on lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from 20 alcoholic subjects and 20 control subjects. Ethanol exposure resulted in differential expression of 4456 of the 12,503 genes detectably expressed in the LCLs (FDR [false discovery rate] ≤ 0.05); 52% of these showed increased expression. Cells from alcoholic subjects and control subjects responded similarly. The genes whose expression changed fell into many pathways: NFκB, neuroinflammation, IL6, IL2, IL8, and dendritic cell maturation pathways were activated, consistent with increased signaling by NFκB, TNF, IL1, IL4, IL18, TLR4, and LPS. Signaling by Interferons A and B decreased, as did EIF2 signaling, phospholipase C signaling, and glycolysis. Baseline gene expression patterns were similar in LCLs from alcoholic subjects and control subjects. At relaxed stringency (p < 0.05), 465 genes differed, 230 of which were also affected by ethanol. There was a suggestion of compensation because baseline differences (no ethanol) were in the opposite direction of differences due to ethanol exposure in 78% of these genes. Pathways with IL8, phospholipase C, and α-adrenergic signaling were significant. The pattern of expression was consistent with increased signaling by several cytokines, including interferons, TLR2, and TLR3 in alcoholics. Expression of genes in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, including the rate-limiting enzyme HMGCR, was lower in alcoholic subjects. LCLs show many effects of ethanol exposure, some of which might provide biomarkers for alcohol use disorders. Identifying genes and pathways altered by ethanol can aid in interpreting which genes within loci identified by GWAS might play functional roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanette N McClintick
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States.
| | - Jay A Tischfield
- Department of Genetics and the Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, United States
| | - Li Deng
- Department of Genetics and the Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, United States
| | - Manav Kapoor
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, United States
| | - Xiaoling Xuei
- Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States
| | - Howard J Edenberg
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States; Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States
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Kozell LB, Denmark DL, Walter NAR, Buck KJ. Distinct Roles for Two Chromosome 1 Loci in Ethanol Withdrawal, Consumption, and Conditioned Place Preference. Front Genet 2018; 9:323. [PMID: 30210527 PMCID: PMC6120100 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously identified a region on chromosome 1 that harbor quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with large effects on alcohol withdrawal risk using both chronic and acute models in mice. Here, using newly created and existing QTL interval-specific congenic (ISC) models, we report the first evidence that this region harbors two distinct alcohol withdrawal QTLs (Alcw11and Alcw12), which underlie 13% and 3–6%, respectively, of the genetic variance in alcohol withdrawal severity measured using the handling-induced convulsion. Our results also precisely localize Alcw11 and Alcw12 to discreet chromosome regions (syntenic with human 1q23.1–23.3) that encompass a limited number of genes with validated genotype-dependent transcript expression and/or non-synonymous sequence variation that may underlie QTL phenotypic effects. ISC analyses also implicate Alcw11and Alcw12 in withdrawal-induced anxiety-like behavior, representing the first evidence for their broader roles in alcohol withdrawal beyond convulsions; but detect no evidence for Alcw12 involvement in ethanol conditioned place preference (CPP) or consumption. Our data point to high-quality candidates for Alcw12, including genes involved in mitochondrial respiration, spatial buffering, and neural plasticity, and to Kcnj9 as a high-quality candidate for Alcw11. Our studies are the first to show, using two null mutant models on different genetic backgrounds, that Kcnj9−/− mice demonstrate significantly less severe alcohol withdrawal than wildtype littermates using acute and repeated exposure paradigms. We also demonstrate that Kcnj9−/− voluntarily consume significantly more alcohol (20%, two-bottle choice) than wildtype littermates. Taken together with evidence implicating Kcnj9 in ethanol CPP, our results support a broad role for this locus in ethanol reward and withdrawal phenotypes. In summary, our results demonstrate two distinct chromosome 1 QTLs that significantly affect risk for ethanol withdrawal, and point to their distinct unique roles in alcohol reward phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Kozell
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center and School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Deaunne L Denmark
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center and School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Nicole A R Walter
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center and School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Kari J Buck
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center and School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
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8
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Faccidomo S, Swaim KS, Saunders BL, Santanam TS, Taylor SM, Kim M, Reid GT, Eastman VR, Hodge CW. Mining the nucleus accumbens proteome for novel targets of alcohol self-administration in male C57BL/6J mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1681-1696. [PMID: 29502276 PMCID: PMC5949261 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4870-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE There is a clear need for discovery of effective medications to treat behavioral pathologies associated with alcohol addiction, such as chronic drinking. OBJECTIVE The goal of this preclinical study was to assess effects of chronic alcohol drinking on the nucleus accumbens (NAcb) proteome to identify and validate novel targets for medications development. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two-dimensional difference in-gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization tandem time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) was used to assess effects of chronic voluntary home-cage (24-h access) alcohol drinking on the NAcb proteome of C57BL/6J mice. To extend these findings to a model of alcohol self-administration and reinforcement, we investigated potential regulation of the positive reinforcing effects of alcohol by the target protein glutathione S-transferase Pi 1 (GSTP1) using a pharmacological inhibition strategy in mice trained to self-administer alcohol or sucrose. RESULTS Expression of 52 unique proteins in the NAcb was changed by chronic alcohol drinking relative to water control (23 upregulated, 29 downregulated). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis showed that alcohol drinking altered an array of protein networks associated with neurological and psychological disorders, molecular and cellular functions, and physiological systems and development. DAVID functional annotation analysis identified 9 proteins (SNCA, GSTP1, PRDX3, PPP3R1, EIF5A, PHB, PEBP1/RKIP, GAPDH, AND SOD1) that were significantly overrepresented in a functional cluster that included the Gene Ontology categories "response to alcohol" and "aging." Immunoblots confirmed changes in Pebp1 (RKIP) and GSTP1 in NAcb with no change in amygdala or frontal cortex, suggesting anatomical specificity. Systemic inhibition of GSTP1 with Ezatiostat (0-30 mg/kg, i.p.) dose-dependently reduced the reinforcing effects of alcohol as measured by operant self-administration, in the absence of motor effects. Sucrose self-administration was also reduced but in a manner associated with nonspecific motor inhibition. CONCLUSIONS Protein expression profiling identified an array of proteins and networks in the NAcb, including GSTP1, that are novel molecular targets of chronic alcohol drinking. Pharmacological inhibition of GSTP1 significantly reduced the positive reinforcing effects of alcohol, which regulate repetitive use and abuse liability. The observation that this protein was both upregulated after chronic drinking and that its inhibition could modulate the reinforcing properties of alcohol suggests that it is a key target for alcohol-related pathologies. Proteomic strategies combined with specific preclinical models has potential to identify and validate novel targets of alcohol that may be useful in the medical management of alcohol addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Faccidomo
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Katarina S Swaim
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Briana L Saunders
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Taruni S Santanam
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Seth M. Taylor
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Michelle Kim
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Grant T Reid
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Vallari R Eastman
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Clyde W Hodge
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #7178, Thurston Bowles Building, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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9
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Korpi ER, den Hollander B, Farooq U, Vashchinkina E, Rajkumar R, Nutt DJ, Hyytiä P, Dawe GS. Mechanisms of Action and Persistent Neuroplasticity by Drugs of Abuse. Pharmacol Rev 2015; 67:872-1004. [DOI: 10.1124/pr.115.010967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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10
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Mamdani M, Williamson V, McMichael GO, Blevins T, Aliev F, Adkins A, Hack L, Bigdeli T, D. van der Vaart A, Web BT, Bacanu SA, Kalsi G, Kendler KS, Miles MF, Dick D, Riley BP, Dumur C, Vladimirov VI. Integrating mRNA and miRNA Weighted Gene Co-Expression Networks with eQTLs in the Nucleus Accumbens of Subjects with Alcohol Dependence. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137671. [PMID: 26381263 PMCID: PMC4575063 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol consumption is known to lead to gene expression changes in the brain. After performing weighted gene co-expression network analyses (WGCNA) on genome-wide mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) expression in Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) of subjects with alcohol dependence (AD; N = 18) and of matched controls (N = 18), six mRNA and three miRNA modules significantly correlated with AD were identified (Bonferoni-adj. p≤ 0.05). Cell-type-specific transcriptome analyses revealed two of the mRNA modules to be enriched for neuronal specific marker genes and downregulated in AD, whereas the remaining four mRNA modules were enriched for astrocyte and microglial specific marker genes and upregulated in AD. Gene set enrichment analysis demonstrated that neuronal specific modules were enriched for genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial dysfunction and MAPK signaling. Glial-specific modules were predominantly enriched for genes involved in processes related to immune functions, i.e. cytokine signaling (all adj. p≤ 0.05). In mRNA and miRNA modules, 461 and 25 candidate hub genes were identified, respectively. In contrast to the expected biological functions of miRNAs, correlation analyses between mRNA and miRNA hub genes revealed a higher number of positive than negative correlations (χ2 test p≤ 0.0001). Integration of hub gene expression with genome-wide genotypic data resulted in 591 mRNA cis-eQTLs and 62 miRNA cis-eQTLs. mRNA cis-eQTLs were significantly enriched for AD diagnosis and AD symptom counts (adj. p = 0.014 and p = 0.024, respectively) in AD GWAS signals in a large, independent genetic sample from the Collaborative Study on Genetics of Alcohol (COGA). In conclusion, our study identified putative gene network hubs coordinating mRNA and miRNA co-expression changes in the NAc of AD subjects, and our genetic (cis-eQTL) analysis provides novel insights into the etiological mechanisms of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Mamdani
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Vernell Williamson
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Gowon O. McMichael
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Tana Blevins
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Fazil Aliev
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Amy Adkins
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Laura Hack
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Tim Bigdeli
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Andrew D. van der Vaart
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Bradley Todd Web
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Silviu-Alin Bacanu
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Gursharan Kalsi
- Department of Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | | | - Kenneth S. Kendler
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
- Department of Human & Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Michael F. Miles
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Danielle Dick
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
- Department of Human & Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Brien P. Riley
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
- Department of Human & Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Catherine Dumur
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Vladimir I. Vladimirov
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
- Center for Biomarker Research and Personalized Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
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11
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Manzardo AM, McGuire A, Butler MG. Clinically relevant genetic biomarkers from the brain in alcoholism with representation on high resolution chromosome ideograms. Gene 2015; 560:184-94. [PMID: 25655461 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.01.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Revised: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Alcoholism arises from combined effects of multiple biological factors including genetic and non-genetic causes with gene/environmental interaction. Intensive research and advanced genetic technology has generated a long list of genes and biomarkers involved in alcoholism neuropathology. These markers reflect complex overlapping and competing effects of possibly hundreds of genes which impact brain structure, function, biochemical alcohol processing, sensitivity and risk for dependence. METHOD We compiled a tabular list of clinically relevant genetic biomarkers for alcoholism targeting expression disturbances in the human brain through an extensive search of keywords related to alcoholism, alcohol abuse, and genetics from peer reviewed medical research articles and related nationally sponsored websites. Gene symbols were then placed on high resolution human chromosome ideograms with gene descriptions in tabular form. RESULTS We identified 337 clinically relevant genetic biomarkers and candidate genes for alcoholism and alcohol-responsiveness from human brain research. Genetic biomarkers included neurotransmitter pathways associated with brain reward processes for dopaminergic (e.g., DRD2, MAOA, and COMT), serotoninergic (e.g., HTR3A, HTR1B, HTR3B, and SLC6A4), GABAergic (e.g., GABRA1, GABRA2, and GABRG1), glutaminergic (GAD1, GRIK3, and GRIN2C) and opioid (e.g., OPRM1, OPRD1, and OPRK1) pathways which presumably impact reinforcing properties of alcohol. Gene level disturbances in cellular and molecular networks impacted by alcohol and alcoholism pathology include transketolase (TKT), transferrin (TF), and myelin (e.g., MBP, MOBP, and MOG). CONCLUSIONS High resolution chromosome ideograms provide investigators, physicians, geneticists and counselors a convenient visual image of the distribution of alcoholism genetic biomarkers from brain research with alphabetical listing of genes in tabular form allowing comparison between alcoholism-related phenotypes, and clinically-relevant alcoholism gene(s) at the chromosome band level to guide research, diagnosis, and treatment. Chromosome ideograms may facilitate gene-based personalized counseling of alcohol dependent individuals and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Manzardo
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
| | - Austen McGuire
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Merlin G Butler
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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12
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Bhandage AK, Jin Z, Bazov I, Kononenko O, Bakalkin G, Korpi ER, Birnir B. GABA-A and NMDA receptor subunit mRNA expression is altered in the caudate but not the putamen of the postmortem brains of alcoholics. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:415. [PMID: 25538565 PMCID: PMC4257153 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 11/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic consumption of alcohol by humans has been shown to lead to impairment of executive and cognitive functions. Here, we have studied the mRNA expression of ion channel receptors for glutamate and GABA in the dorsal striatum of post-mortem brains from alcoholics (n = 29) and normal controls (n = 29), with the focus on the caudate nucleus that is associated with the frontal cortex executive functions and automatic thinking and on the putamen area that is linked to motor cortices and automatic movements. The results obtained by qPCR assay revealed significant changes in the expression of specific excitatory ionotropic glutamate and inhibitory GABA-A receptor subunit genes in the caudate but not the putamen. Thus, in the caudate we found reduced levels of mRNAs encoding the GluN2A glutamate receptor and the δ, ε, and ρ2 GABA-A receptor subunits, and increased levels of the mRNAs encoding GluD1, GluD2, and GABA-A γ1 subunits in the alcoholics as compared to controls. Interestingly in the controls, 11 glutamate and 5 GABA-A receptor genes were more prominently expressed in the caudate than the putamen (fold-increase varied from 1.24 to 2.91). Differences in gene expression patterns between the striatal regions may underlie differences in associated behavioral outputs. Our results suggest an altered balance between caudate-mediated voluntarily controlled and automatic behaviors in alcoholics, including diminished executive control on goal-directed alcohol-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amol K Bhandage
- Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Zhe Jin
- Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Igor Bazov
- Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olga Kononenko
- Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Georgy Bakalkin
- Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Esa R Korpi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Bioscience (Biological Research on Drug Dependence), Biomedical Center, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Bryndis Birnir
- Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
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13
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Jin Z, Bhandage AK, Bazov I, Kononenko O, Bakalkin G, Korpi ER, Birnir B. Expression of specific ionotropic glutamate and GABA-A receptor subunits is decreased in central amygdala of alcoholics. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:288. [PMID: 25278838 PMCID: PMC4165314 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) has a role for mediating fear and anxiety responses. It is also involved in emotional imbalance caused by alcohol abuse and dependence and in regulating relapse to alcohol abuse. Growing evidences suggest that excitatory glutamatergic and inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic (GABAergic) transmissions in the CeA are affected by chronic alcohol exposure. Human post-mortem CeA samples from male alcoholics (n = 9) and matched controls (n = 9) were assayed for the expression level of ionotropic glutamate and GABA-A receptors subunit mRNAs using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-qPCR). Our data revealed that out of the 16 ionotropic glutamate receptor subunits, mRNAs encoding two AMPA [2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazol-4-yl)propanoic acid] receptor subunits GluA1 and GluA4; one kainate receptor subunit GluK2; one NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor subunit GluN2D and one delta receptor subunit GluD2 were significantly decreased in the CeA of alcoholics. In contrast, of the 19 GABA-A receptor subunits, only the mRNA encoding the α2 subunit was significantly down-regulated in the CeA of the alcoholics as compared with control subjects. Our findings imply that the down-regulation of specific ionotropic glutamate and GABA-A receptor subunits in the CeA of alcoholics may represent one of the molecular substrates underlying the new balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission in alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Jin
- Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience Unit, Neuroscience, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amol K Bhandage
- Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience Unit, Neuroscience, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Igor Bazov
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olga Kononenko
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Georgy Bakalkin
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Esa R Korpi
- Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bryndis Birnir
- Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience Unit, Neuroscience, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
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14
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Manzardo AM, Gunewardena S, Wang K, Butler MG. Exon microarray analysis of human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in alcoholism. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2014; 38:1594-601. [PMID: 24890784 PMCID: PMC4047192 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol abuse is associated with cellular and biochemical disturbances that impact upon protein and nucleic acid synthesis, brain development, function, and behavioral responses. To further characterize the genetic influences in alcoholism and the effects of alcohol consumption on gene expression, we used a highly sensitive exon microarray to examine mRNA expression in human frontal cortex of alcoholics and control males. METHODS Messenger RNA was isolated from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC; Brodmann area 9) of 7 adult alcoholic (6 males, 1 female, mean age 49 years) and 7 matched controls. Affymetrix Human Exon 1.0 ST array was performed according to standard procedures and the results analyzed at the gene level. Microarray findings were validated using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and the ontology of disturbed genes characterized using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). RESULTS Decreased mRNA expression was observed for genes involved in cellular adhesion (e.g., CTNNA3, ITGA2), transport (e.g., TF, ABCA8), nervous system development (e.g., LRP2, UGT8, GLDN), and signaling (e.g., RASGRP3, LGR5) with influence over lipid and myelin synthesis (e.g., ASPA, ENPP2, KLK6). IPA identified disturbances in network functions associated with neurological disease and development including cellular assembly and organization impacting on psychological disorders. CONCLUSIONS Our data in alcoholism support a reduction in expression of dlPFC mRNA for genes involved with neuronal growth, differentiation, and signaling that targets white matter of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M. Manzardo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS
| | - Sumedha Gunewardena
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS
| | - Kun Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS
| | - Merlin G. Butler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS
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15
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Abstract
Alcohol dependence is a complex disorder affecting all social and ethnic groups. Although the scientific understanding of the mechanism governing this multifactorial disease is still in its infancy, understanding its biological bases, including the potential contribution of genetic factors, is key to characterizing individual's risk and developing efficacious therapeutic target to combat the disease. This review provides an overview of different approaches that are being increasingly integrated to extend our knowledge of the genetic underpinnings of alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awoyemi A Awofala
- a Department of Biological Sciences , Tai Solarin University of Education , Ijagun , Ogun State , Nigeria
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16
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Jin Z, Bhandage AK, Bazov I, Kononenko O, Bakalkin G, Korpi ER, Birnir B. Selective increases of AMPA, NMDA, and kainate receptor subunit mRNAs in the hippocampus and orbitofrontal cortex but not in prefrontal cortex of human alcoholics. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:11. [PMID: 24523671 PMCID: PMC3905203 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate is the main excitatory transmitter in the human brain. Drugs that affect the glutamatergic signaling will alter neuronal excitability. Ethanol inhibits glutamate receptors. We examined the expression level of glutamate receptor subunit mRNAs in human post-mortem samples from alcoholics and compared the results to brain samples from control subjects. RNA from hippocampal dentate gyrus (HP-DG), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DL-PFC) samples from 21 controls and 19 individuals with chronic alcohol dependence were included in the study. Total RNA was assayed using quantitative RT-PCR. Out of the 16 glutamate receptor subunits, mRNAs encoding two AMPA [2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazol-4-yl)propanoic acid] receptor subunits GluA2 and GluA3; three kainate receptor subunits GluK2, GluK3 and GluK5 and five NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor subunits GluN1, GluN2A, GluN2C, GluN2D, and GluN3A were significantly increased in the HP-DG region in alcoholics. In the OFC, mRNA encoding the NMDA receptor subunit GluN3A was increased, whereas in the DL-PFC, no differences in mRNA levels were observed. Our laboratory has previously shown that the expression of genes encoding inhibitory GABA-A receptors is altered in the HP-DG and OFC of alcoholics (Jin et al., 2011). Whether the changes in one neurotransmitter system drives changes in the other or if they change independently is currently not known. The results demonstrate that excessive long-term alcohol consumption is associated with altered expression of genes encoding glutamate receptors in a brain region-specific manner. It is an intriguing possibility that genetic predisposition to alcoholism may contribute to these gene expression changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Jin
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amol K Bhandage
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Igor Bazov
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olga Kononenko
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Georgy Bakalkin
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Esa R Korpi
- Institute of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bryndis Birnir
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
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17
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Sutherland GT, Sheedy D, Sheahan PJ, Kaplan W, Kril JJ. Comorbidities, confounders, and the white matter transcriptome in chronic alcoholism. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2014; 38:994-1001. [PMID: 24460866 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol abuse is the world's third leading cause of disease and disability, and one potential sequel of chronic abuse is alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD). This clinically manifests as cognitive dysfunction and pathologically as atrophy of white matter (WM) in particular. The mechanism linking chronic alcohol intoxication with ARBD remains largely unknown but it is also complicated by common comorbidities such as liver damage and nutritional deficiencies. Liver cirrhosis, in particular, often leads to hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a primary glial disease. METHODS In a novel transcriptomic study, we targeted the WM only of chronic alcoholics in an attempt to tease apart the pathogenesis of ARBD. Specifically, in alcoholics with and without HE, we explored both the prefrontal and primary motor cortices, 2 regions that experience differential levels of neuronal loss. RESULTS Our results suggest that HE, along with 2 confounders, gray matter contamination, and low RNA quality are major drivers of gene expression in ARBD. All 3 exceeded the effects of alcohol itself. In particular, low-quality RNA samples were characterized by an up-regulation of translation machinery, while HE was associated with a down-regulation of mitochondrial energy metabolism pathways. CONCLUSIONS The findings in HE alcoholics are consistent with the metabolic acidosis seen in this condition. In contrast non-HE alcoholics had widespread but only subtle changes in gene expression in their WM. Notwithstanding the latter result, this study demonstrates that significant confounders in transcriptomic studies of human postmortem brain tissue can be identified, quantified, and "removed" to reveal disease-specific signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg T Sutherland
- Discipline of Pathology, Sydney Medical School , University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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18
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Abstract
Chronic alcohol consumption results in structural changes to the brain. In alcoholics without coexisting thiamine deficiency or liver disease this is largely restricted to a loss of white-matter volume. When it occurs, neuronal loss is limited in anatomic distribution and only detected with quantitative techniques. This relative paucity of neurodegeneration is reflected in studies of gene and protein expression in postmortem brain where findings are subtle and discordant between studies. In alcoholics with coexisting pathologies, neuronal loss is more marked and affects a wider range of anatomic regions, especially subcortical nuclei. Although this more widespread damage may reflect a more severe drinking history, there is evidence linking thiamine deficiency and the consequences of liver disease to the pathogenesis of alcohol-related brain damage. Furthermore, a range of other factors, such as cigarette smoking and mood disorders, that are common in alcoholics, have the potential to influence studies of brain pathology and should be considered in further studies of the neuropathology of alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg T Sutherland
- Department of Pathology, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Donna Sheedy
- Department of Pathology, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jillian J Kril
- Department of Pathology, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Department of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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19
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Sutherland GT, Sheedy D, Kril JJ. Using autopsy brain tissue to study alcohol-related brain damage in the genomic age. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2013; 38:1-8. [PMID: 24033426 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The New South Wales Tissue Resource Centre at the University of Sydney, Australia, is one of the few human brain banks dedicated to the study of the effects of chronic alcoholism. The bank was affiliated in 1994 as a member of the National Network of Brain Banks and also focuses on schizophrenia and healthy control tissue. Alcohol abuse is a major problem worldwide, manifesting in such conditions as fetal alcohol syndrome, adolescent binge drinking, alcohol dependency, and alcoholic neurodegeneration. The latter is also referred to as alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD). The study of postmortem brain tissue is ideally suited to determining the effects of long-term alcohol abuse, but it also makes an important contribution to understanding pathogenesis across the spectrum of alcohol misuse disorders and potentially other neurodegenerative diseases. Tissue from the bank has contributed to 330 peer-reviewed journal articles including 120 related to alcohol research. Using the results of these articles, this review chronicles advances in alcohol-related brain research since 2003, the so-called genomic age. In particular, it concentrates on transcriptomic approaches to the pathogenesis of ARBD and builds on earlier reviews of structural changes (Harper et al. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2003;27:951) and proteomics (Matsumoto et al. Expert Rev Proteomics 2007;4:539).
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg T Sutherland
- Discipline of Pathology, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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20
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Yeo RA, Thoma RJ, Gasparovic C, Monnig M, Harlaar N, Calhoun VD, Kalyanam R, Mayer AR, Durazzo TC, Hutchison KE. Neurometabolite concentration and clinical features of chronic alcohol use: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. Psychiatry Res 2013; 211:141-7. [PMID: 23154093 PMCID: PMC3570754 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2011] [Revised: 05/08/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Chronic, heavy alcohol consumption may affect the concentration of neurometabolites assessed with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS). We investigated the largest sample reported to date (N=213) with the primary goal of determining how specific clinical features impact neurometabolite concentrations in an anterior cingulate gray matter voxel. This community-dwelling sample included both treatment-seeking and non-treatment-seeking individuals. A healthy control group (N=66) was matched for age and education. In multivariate analyses predicting neurometabolite concentrations, the heavy drinking group had greater concentrations overall. An age by group interaction was noted, as group difference across neurometabolites increased with age. More years drinking, but not more drinks per drinking day (DPDD), predicted greater concentrations of choline-containing compounds (Cho), creatine-phosphocreatine (Cre), glutamate-glutamine (Glx), and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA). The effects of other clinical variables (depression, cigarette smoking, marijuana use) were negligible. After controlling for DPDD and years drinking, treatment-seeking status had no impact on neurometabolites. In the very oldest portion of the sample (mean age=50), however, a negative relationship was seen between NAA and years drinking. These results suggest that the nature of neurometabolite abnormalities in chronic heavy drinkers may vary as a function of duration of abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald A. Yeo
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA,Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA,Correspondence: Ronald A. Yeo, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; , FAX: 505-277-1394, phone: (505) 277-4121
| | - Robert J. Thoma
- Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Charles Gasparovic
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA,Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Mollie Monnig
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | - Andrew R. Mayer
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA,Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Timothy C. Durazzo
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kent E. Hutchison
- Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
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Palmer RHC, McGeary JE, Francazio S, Raphael BJ, Lander AD, Heath AC, Knopik VS. The genetics of alcohol dependence: advancing towards systems-based approaches. Drug Alcohol Depend 2012; 125:179-91. [PMID: 22854292 PMCID: PMC3470479 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2012] [Revised: 07/09/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Personalized treatment for psychopathologies, in particular alcoholism, is highly dependent upon our ability to identify patterns of genetic and environmental effects that influence a person's risk. Unfortunately, array-based whole genome investigations into heritable factors that explain why one person becomes dependent upon alcohol and another does not, have indicated that alcohol's genetic architecture is highly complex. That said, uncovering and interpreting the missing heritability in alcohol genetics research has become all the more important, especially since the problem may extend to our inability to model the cumulative and combinatorial relationships between common and rare genetic variants. As numerous studies begin to illustrate the dependency of alcohol pharmacotherapies on an individual's genotype, the field is further challenged to identify new ways to transcend agnostic genomewide association approaches. We discuss insights from genetic studies of alcohol related diseases, as well as issues surrounding alcohol's genetic complexity and etiological heterogeneity. Finally, we describe the need for innovative systems-based approaches (systems genetics) that can provide additional statistical power that can enhance future gene-finding strategies and help to identify heretofore-unrealized mechanisms that may provide new targets for prevention/treatments efforts. Emerging evidence from early studies suggest that systems genetics has the potential to organize our neurological, pharmacological, and genetic understanding of alcohol dependence into a biologically plausible framework that represents how perturbations across evolutionarily robust biological systems determine susceptibility to alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- R H C Palmer
- Division of Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychiatry at Rhode Island Hospital, USA.
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22
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Tapocik JD, Solomon M, Flanigan M, Meinhardt M, Barbier E, Schank JR, Schwandt M, Sommer WH, Heilig M. Coordinated dysregulation of mRNAs and microRNAs in the rat medial prefrontal cortex following a history of alcohol dependence. THE PHARMACOGENOMICS JOURNAL 2012; 13:286-96. [PMID: 22614244 DOI: 10.1038/tpj.2012.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Long-term changes in brain gene expression have been identified in alcohol dependence, but underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we examined the potential role of microRNAs (miRNAs) for persistent gene expression changes in the rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) after a history of alcohol dependence. Two-bottle free-choice alcohol consumption increased following 7-week exposure to intermittent alcohol intoxication. A bioinformatic approach using microarray analysis, quantitative PCR (qPCR), bioinformatic analysis and microRNA-messenger RNA (mRNA) integrative analysis identified expression patterns indicative of a disruption in synaptic processes and neuroplasticity. About 41 rat miRNAs and 165 mRNAs in the mPFC were significantly altered after chronic alcohol exposure. A subset of the miRNAs and mRNAs was confirmed by qPCR. Gene ontology categories of differential expression pointed to functional processes commonly associated with neurotransmission, neuroadaptation and synaptic plasticity. microRNA-mRNA expression pairing identified 33 miRNAs putatively targeting 89 mRNAs suggesting transcriptional networks involved in axonal guidance and neurotransmitter signaling. Our results demonstrate a significant shift in microRNA expression patterns in the mPFC following a history of dependence. Owing to their global regulation of multiple downstream target transcripts, miRNAs may have a pivotal role in the reorganization of synaptic connections and long-term neuroadaptations in alcohol dependence. MicroRNA-mediated alterations of transcriptional networks may be involved in disrupted prefrontal control over alcohol drinking observed in alcoholic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Tapocik
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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23
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Karlsson RM, Adermark L, Molander A, Perreau-Lenz S, Singley E, Solomon M, Holmes A, Tanaka K, Lovinger DM, Spanagel R, Heilig M. Reduced alcohol intake and reward associated with impaired endocannabinoid signaling in mice with a deletion of the glutamate transporter GLAST. Neuropharmacology 2012; 63:181-9. [PMID: 22342743 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2011] [Revised: 01/23/2012] [Accepted: 01/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
A hyperglutamatergic state has been hypothesized to drive escalation of alcohol intake. This hypothesis predicts that an impairment of glutamate clearance through inactivation of the astrocytic glutamate transporter, GLAST (EAAT1), will result in escalation of alcohol consumption. Here, we used mice with a deletion of GLAST to test this prediction. WT and GLAST KO mice were tested for alcohol consumption using two-bottle free-choice drinking. Alcohol reward was evaluated using conditioned place preference (CPP). Sensitivity to depressant alcohol effects was tested using the accelerating rotarod, alcohol-induced hypothermia, and loss of righting reflex. Extracellular glutamate was measured using microdialysis, and striatal slice electrophysiology was carried out to examine plasticity of the cortico-striatal pathway as a model system in which adaptations to the constitutive GLAST deletion can be studied. Contrary to our hypothesis, GLAST KO mice showed markedly decreased alcohol consumption, and lacked CPP for alcohol, despite a higher locomotor response to this drug. Alcohol-induced ataxia, hypothermia, and sedation were unaffected. In striatal slices from GLAST KO mice, long-term depression (LTD) induced by high frequency stimulation, or by post-synaptic depolarization combined with the l-type calcium channel activator FPL 64176 was absent. In contrast, normal synaptic depression was observed after application of the cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor agonist WIN55,212-2. Constitutive deletion of GLAST unexpectedly results in markedly reduced alcohol consumption and preference, associated with markedly reduced alcohol reward. Endocannabinoid signaling appears to be down-regulated upstream of the CB1 receptor as a result of the GLAST deletion, and is a candidate mechanism behind the reduction of alcohol reward observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose-Marie Karlsson
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, NIH, 10 Center Drive, 1-5330, Bethesda, MD 20892-1108, USA
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Qin L, Crews FT. NADPH oxidase and reactive oxygen species contribute to alcohol-induced microglial activation and neurodegeneration. J Neuroinflammation 2012; 9:5. [PMID: 22240163 PMCID: PMC3271961 DOI: 10.1186/1742-2094-9-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2011] [Accepted: 01/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Activation of microglia causes the production of proinflammatory factors and upregulation of NADPH oxidase (NOX) that form reactive oxygen species (ROS) that lead to neurodegeneration. Previously, we reported that 10 daily doses of ethanol treatment induced innate immune genes in brain. In the present study, we investigate the effects of chronic ethanol on activation of NOX and release of ROS, and their contribution to ethanol neurotoxicity. Methods Male C57BL/6 and NF-κB enhanced GFP mice were treated intragastrically with water or ethanol (5 g/kg, i.g., 25% ethanol w/v) daily for 10 days. The effects of chronic ethanol on cell death markers (activated caspase-3 and Fluoro-Jade B), microglial morphology, NOX, ROS and NF-κB were examined using real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry and hydroethidine histochemistry. Also, Fluoro-Jade B staining and NOX gp91phox immunohistochemistry were performed in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of human postmortem alcoholic brain and human moderate drinking control brain. Results Ethanol treatment of C57BL/6 mice showed increased markers of neuronal death: activated caspase-3 and Fluoro-Jade B positive staining with Neu-N (a neuronal marker) labeling in cortex and dentate gyrus. The OFC of human post-mortem alcoholic brain also showed significantly more Fluoro-Jade B positive cells colocalized with Neu-N, a neuronal marker, compared to the OFC of human moderate drinking control brain, suggesting increased neuronal death in the OFC of human alcoholic brain. Iba1 and GFAP immunohistochemistry showed activated morphology of microglia and astrocytes in ethanol-treated mouse brain. Ethanol treatment increased NF-κB transcription and increased NOX gp91phox at 24 hr after the last ethanol treatment that remained elevated at 1 week. The OFC of human postmortem alcoholic brain also had significant increases in the number of gp91phox + immunoreactive (IR) cells that are colocalized with neuronal, microglial and astrocyte markers. In mouse brain ethanol increased gp91phox expression coincided with increased production of O2- and O2- - derived oxidants. Diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), a NOX inhibitor, reduced markers of neurodegeneration, ROS and microglial activation. Conclusions Ethanol activation of microglia and astrocytes, induction of NOX and production of ROS contribute to chronic ethanol-induced neurotoxicity. NOX-ROS and NF-κB signaling pathways play important roles in chronic ethanol-induced neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liya Qin
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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25
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Awofala AA. Genetic approaches to alcohol addiction: gene expression studies and recent candidates from Drosophila. INVERTEBRATE NEUROSCIENCE 2010; 11:1-7. [PMID: 21153676 DOI: 10.1007/s10158-010-0113-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2010] [Accepted: 11/25/2010] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Ethanol intake causes gene expression changes resulting in cellular and molecular adaptations that could be associated with a predisposition to alcohol dependence. Recently, several research groups have used high-throughput gene expression profiling to search for alcohol-responsive genes in Drosophila melanogaster. Comparison of data from these studies highlights the functional similarities in their results despite differences in their experimental approach and selection cases. Notably, alcohol-responsive gene sets associated with stress response, olfaction, metabolism, proteases, transcriptional regulation, regulation of signal transduction, nucleic acid binding and cytoskeletal organisation were markedly common to these studies. These data support the view that changes in gene expression in alcoholics are associated with widespread cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awoyemi A Awofala
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
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26
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Pan Y, Kaiguo M, Razak Z, Westwood JT, Gerlai R. Chronic alcohol exposure induced gene expression changes in the zebrafish brain. Behav Brain Res 2010; 216:66-76. [PMID: 20654657 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2010] [Revised: 07/05/2010] [Accepted: 07/13/2010] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Chronic alcohol exposure affects the central nervous system, influences behavior, and induces neuroadaptive changes in vertebrate species including our own. The molecular mechanisms responsible for chronic alcohol effects have not been fully elucidated due to the complexity of alcohol's actions. Here we use zebrafish, a novel tool in alcohol research, to reveal a large number of genes that respond to chronic alcohol treatment. We demonstrate differential gene expression in response to chronic alcohol treatment using full genome DNA microarrays and find a total of 1914 genes to show a minimum of 2-fold and significant expression level change (1127 were up- and 787 were down-regulated). Approximately two-thirds of these genes had no known previous functional annotation. The results of the microarray analyses correlated well with those obtained on a selected subset of genes analyzed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Analyses of the differentially expressed genes with known annotations were enriched for a variety of molecular functions. Only a fraction of these known genes has been reported in the literature to be alcohol related. We conclude that the zebrafish is an excellent tool for the analysis of genes associated with alcohol's actions in vertebrates, one which may facilitate the discovery and better understanding of the mechanisms of alcohol abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Pan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada
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27
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Abstract
Alcohol intake at levels posing an acute heath risk is common amongst teenagers. Alcohol abuse is the second most common mental disorder worldwide. The incidence of smoking is decreasing in the Western world but increasing in developing countries and is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. Considering the longstanding history of alcohol and tobacco consumption in human societies, it might be surprising that the molecular mechanisms underlying alcohol and smoking dependence are still incompletely understood. Effective treatments against the risk of relapse are lacking. Drugs of abuse exert their effect manipulating the dopaminergic mesocorticolimbic system. In this brain region, alcohol has many potential targets including membranes and several ion channels, while other drugs, for example nicotine, act via specific receptors or binding proteins. Repeated consumption of drugs of abuse mediates adaptive changes within this region, resulting in addiction. The high incidence of alcohol and nicotine co-abuse complicates analysis of the molecular basis of the disease. Gene expression profiling is a useful approach to explore novel drug targets in the brain. Several groups have utilised this technology to reveal drug-sensitive pathways in the mesocorticolimbic system of animal models and in human subjects. These studies are the focus of the present review.
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28
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29
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Unraveling the molecular mechanisms of alcohol dependence. Trends Genet 2009; 25:49-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2008.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2007] [Revised: 10/10/2008] [Accepted: 10/13/2008] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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30
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Dedova I, Harding A, Sheedy D, Garrick T, Sundqvist N, Hunt C, Gillies J, Harper CG. The importance of brain banks for molecular neuropathological research: The New South Wales Tissue Resource Centre experience. Int J Mol Sci 2009; 10:366-384. [PMID: 19333451 PMCID: PMC2662458 DOI: 10.3390/ijms10010366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2008] [Revised: 01/14/2009] [Accepted: 01/22/2009] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
New developments in molecular neuropathology have evoked increased demands for postmortem human brain tissue. The New South Wales Tissue Resource Centre (TRC) at The University of Sydney has grown from a small tissue collection into one of the leading international brain banking facilities, which operates with best practice and quality control protocols. The focus of this tissue collection is on schizophrenia and allied disorders, alcohol use disorders and controls. This review highlights changes in TRC operational procedures dictated by modern neuroscience, and provides examples of applications of modern molecular techniques to study the neuropathogenesis of many different brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Dedova
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
- The New South Wales Tissue Resource Centre, Discipline of Pathology, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Antony Harding
- The New South Wales Tissue Resource Centre, Discipline of Pathology, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Donna Sheedy
- The New South Wales Tissue Resource Centre, Discipline of Pathology, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Therese Garrick
- The New South Wales Tissue Resource Centre, Discipline of Pathology, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Nina Sundqvist
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
- The New South Wales Tissue Resource Centre, Discipline of Pathology, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Clare Hunt
- The New South Wales Tissue Resource Centre, Discipline of Pathology, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Juliette Gillies
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
- The New South Wales Tissue Resource Centre, Discipline of Pathology, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Clive G Harper
- The New South Wales Tissue Resource Centre, Discipline of Pathology, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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31
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Denmark DL, Buck KJ. Molecular analyses and identification of promising candidate genes for loci on mouse chromosome 1 affecting alcohol physical dependence and associated withdrawal. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2008; 7:599-608. [PMID: 18363851 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2008.00396.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We recently mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with large effects on predisposition to physical dependence and associated withdrawal severity following chronic and acute alcohol exposure (Alcdp1/Alcw1) to a 1.1-Mb interval of mouse chromosome 1 syntenic with human chromosome 1q23.2-23.3. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of the genes within this interval and show that it contains 40 coding genes, 17 of which show validated genotype-dependent transcript expression and/or non-synonymous coding sequence variation that may underlie the influence of Alcdp1/Alcw1 on ethanol dependence and associated withdrawal. These high priority candidates are involved in diverse cellular functions including intracellular trafficking, oxidative homeostasis, mitochondrial respiration, and extracellular matrix dynamics, and indicate both established and novel aspects of the neurobiological response to ethanol. This work represents a substantial advancement toward identification of the gene(s) that underlies the phenotypic effects of Alcdp1/Alcw1. Additionally, a multitude of QTLs for a variety of complex traits, including diverse behavioral responses to ethanol, have been mapped in the vicinity of Alcdp1/Alcw1, and as many as four QTLs on human chromosome 1q have been implicated in human mapping studies for alcoholism and associated endophenotypes. Thus, our results will be primary to further efforts to identify genes involved in a wide variety of behavioral responses to alcohol and may directly facilitate progress in human alcoholism genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- D L Denmark
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Graduate Program, and Portland Alcohol Research Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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32
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Sheedy D, Garrick T, Dedova I, Hunt C, Miller R, Sundqvist N, Harper C. An Australian Brain Bank: a critical investment with a high return! Cell Tissue Bank 2008; 9:205-16. [PMID: 18543078 PMCID: PMC3391553 DOI: 10.1007/s10561-008-9076-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2008] [Accepted: 05/18/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Research into neuropsychiatric disorders, including alcohol-related problems, is limited in part by the lack of appropriate animal models. However, the development of new technologies in pathology and molecular biology means that many more questions can be addressed using appropriately stored human brain tissues. The New South Wales Tissue Resource Centre (TRC) in the University of Sydney (Australia) is a human brain bank that can provide tissues to the neuroscience research community studying alcohol-related brain disorders, schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorders. Carefully standardised operational protocols and integrated information systems means that the TRC can provide high quality, accurately characterised, tissues for research. A recent initiative, the pre-mortem donor program called "Using our Brains", encourages individuals without neuropsychiatric illness to register as control donors, a critical group for all research. Community support for this program is strong with over 2,000 people registering their interest. Discussed herein are the protocols pertaining to this multifaceted facility and the benefits of investment, both scientific and financial, to neuroscience researchers and the community at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Sheedy
- Discipline of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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33
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Hashimoto JG, Wiren KM. Neurotoxic consequences of chronic alcohol withdrawal: expression profiling reveals importance of gender over withdrawal severity. Neuropsychopharmacology 2008; 33:1084-96. [PMID: 17593928 PMCID: PMC3019135 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1301494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
While women are more vulnerable than men to many of the medical consequences of alcohol abuse, the role of sex in the response to ethanol is controversial. Neuroadaptive responses that result in the hyperexcitability associated with withdrawal from chronic ethanol likely reflect gene expression changes. We have examined both genders for the effects of withdrawal on brain gene expression using mice with divergent withdrawal severity that have been selectively bred from a genetically heterogeneous population. A total of 295 genes were identified as ethanol regulated from each gender of each selected line by microarray analyses. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the arrays revealed that the transcriptional response correlated with sex rather than with the selected withdrawal phenotype. Consistent with this, gene ontology category over-representation analysis identified cell death and DNA/RNA binding as targeted classes of genes in females, while in males, protein degradation, and calcium ion binding pathways were more altered by alcohol. Examination of ethanol-regulated genes and these distinct signaling pathways suggested enhanced neurotoxicity in females. Histopathological analysis of brain damage following ethanol withdrawal confirmed elevated cell death in female but not male mice. The sexually dimorphic response was observed irrespective of withdrawal phenotype. Combined, these results indicate a fundamentally distinct neuroadaptive response in females compared to males during chronic ethanol withdrawal and are consistent with observations that female alcoholics may be more vulnerable than males to ethanol-induced brain damage associated with alcohol abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel G Hashimoto
- Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Kristine M Wiren
- Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Correspondence: Dr KM Wiren, OHSU, Portland VA Medical Center, Research Service, P3 R&D39, Portland, OR 97239, USA, Tel: 503 220 8262, ext. 56595, Fax: 503 273 5351,
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Oliva JM, Manzanares J. Gene transcription alterations associated with decrease of ethanol intake induced by naltrexone in the brain of Wistar rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2007; 32:1358-69. [PMID: 17063152 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1301237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical and clinical studies suggest that the administration of the opioid antagonist naltrexone decreases the intake of ethanol. However, the neuroplastic adaptations in the brain associated to reduction of ethanol consumption remains to be elucidated. The aim of the study was to identify gene transcription alterations underlying the attenuation of voluntary ethanol intake by administration of naltrexone in rats. Increasing doses of naltrexone (0.7 mg/kg, 4 days and 1.4 mg/kg/day, 4 days) to rats with acquired high preferring ethanol consumption (>3.5 g of ethanol/kg/day) decreased voluntary ethanol intake (50%). Voluntary ethanol consumption altered mu-opioid receptor function in the cingulate cortex, caudate-putamen (CPu), nucleus accumbens core (Acb C) and shell (Acb S), the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra, proenkephalin (PENK) in the piriform cortex, olfactory tubercle, CPu, Acb C and Acb S, ventromedial nucleus (VMN) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) in PVN, cannabinoid CB(1) receptor (CB1-R) in the CPu, hippocampus and VMN, and serotonin transporter (5-HTT) in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei. The reduction of ethanol intake induced by naltrexone was associated with a blockade or significant reduction of the changes produced by ethanol in the expression of these genes in key regions related to drug dependence. These results point to a role for the mu-opioid receptor, TH, PENK, CRF, CB1-R, and 5-HTT genes in specific brain regions in the modulation of neuroadaptative mechanisms associated to the decrease of ethanol intake induced by naltrexone.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Oliva
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, School of Medicine, Johannes-Gutemberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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35
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Bowers BJ, Radcliffe RA, Smith AM, Miyamoto-Ditmon J, Wehner JM. Microarray analysis identifies cerebellar genes sensitive to chronic ethanol treatment in PKCgamma mice. Alcohol 2006; 40:19-33. [PMID: 17157717 PMCID: PMC1931504 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2006.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2006] [Revised: 09/08/2006] [Accepted: 09/08/2006] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Neuroadaptive changes that occur in the development of ethanol tolerance may be the result of alterations in gene expression. We have shown that PKCgamma wild-type mice develop tolerance to the sedative-hypnotic effects of ethanol after chronic ethanol treatment; whereas, mutant mice do not, making these genotypes a suitable model for identifying changes in gene expression related to tolerance development. Using a two-stage process, several genes were initially identified using microarray analyses of cerebellar tissue from ethanol-treated PKCgamma mutant and wild-type mice. Subsequent confirmation of a subset of these genes using quantitative real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reactions (qRT-PCR) was done to verify gene expression changes. A total of 109 genes from different functional classifications were identified in these groups on the microarrays. Eight genes were selected for verification as follows: three, Twik-1, Plp, and Adk2, were chosen as genes related to tolerance; another three, Hsp70.2, Bdnf, and Th, were chosen as genes related to resistance to tolerance; and two genes, JunB and Nur77, were selected as candidate genes sensitive to chronic ethanol. The results from the verification experiments indicated that Twik-1, which codes for a potassium channel, was associated with tolerance and appeared to be dependent on the presence of PKCgamma. No genes were confirmed to be related to resistance to tolerance; however, expression of two of these, Hsp70.2 and Th, were found to be sensitive to chronic ethanol and were added to the transcription factors, JunB and Nur77, confirmed by qRT-PCR, as a subset of genes that respond to chronic ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara J Bowers
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, 447 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
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36
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Flatscher-Bader T, Wilce PA. Chronic Smoking and Alcoholism Change Expression of Selective Genes in the Human Prefrontal Cortex. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2006; 30:908-15. [PMID: 16634861 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00106.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcoholism is commonly associated with chronic smoking. A number of gene expression profiles of regions within the human mesocorticolimbic system have identified potential alcohol-sensitive genes; however, the influence of smoking on these changes was not taken into account. This study addressed the impact of alcohol and smoking on the expression of 4 genes, previously identified as alcoholism-sensitive, in the human prefrontal cortex (PFC). METHODS mRNA expression of apolipoprotein D, tissue inhibitor of the metalloproteinase 3, high-affinity glial glutamate transporter and midkine, was measured in the PFC of alcoholic subjects and controls with and without smoking comorbidity using real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS The results show that alcohol affects transcription of some of these genes. Additionally, smoking has a marked influence on gene expression. CONCLUSION This study emphasizes the need for careful case selection in future gene expression studies to delineate the adaptive molecular process associated with smoking and alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Traute Flatscher-Bader
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences, University of Queensland, QLD, Australia.
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