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Riyahi J, Taslimi Z, Gelfo F, Petrosini L, Haghparast A. Trans-generational effects of parental exposure to drugs of abuse on offspring memory functions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 160:105644. [PMID: 38548003 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Recent evidence reported that parental-derived phenotypes can be passed on to the next generations. Within the inheritance of epigenetic characteristics allowing the transmission of information related to the ancestral environment to the offspring, the specific case of the trans-generational effects of parental drug addiction has been extensively studied. Drug addiction is a chronic disorder resulting from complex interactions among environmental, genetic, and drug-related factors. Repeated exposures to drugs induce epigenetic changes in the reward circuitry that in turn mediate enduring changes in brain function. Addictive drugs can exert their effects trans-generally and influence the offspring of addicted parents. Although there is growing evidence that shows a wide range of behavioral, physiological, and molecular phenotypes in inter-, multi-, and trans-generational studies, transmitted phenotypes often vary widely even within similar protocols. Given the breadth of literature findings, in the present review, we restricted our investigation to learning and memory performances, as examples of the offspring's complex behavioral outcomes following parental exposure to drugs of abuse, including morphine, cocaine, cannabinoids, nicotine, heroin, and alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Riyahi
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Science and Technology in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Taslimi
- Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran; Fertility and Infertility Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
| | - Francesca Gelfo
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy; Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Abbas Haghparast
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Basic Sciences, Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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2
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Domi E. Alcohol Withdrawal-Induced GABA Hyposensitivity in the Ventral Tegmental Area Relies on Dysregulation of Cholesterol Synthesis. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:e5-e7. [PMID: 38143100 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Esi Domi
- School of Pharmacy, Center for Neuroscience, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy.
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3
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Foster TC. Animal models for studies of alcohol effects on the trajectory of age-related cognitive decline. Alcohol 2023; 107:4-11. [PMID: 35504438 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
There is growing interest in understanding how ethanol use interacts with advancing age to influence the brain and cognition. Animal models are employed to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of brain aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases that underlie cognitive decline. However, all too often research on problems and diseases of the elderly are conducted in healthy young animals, providing little clinical relevance. The validity of animal models is discussed, and confounds due to age-related differences in anxiety, sensory-motor function, and procedural learning are highlighted in order to enhance the successful translation of preclinical results into clinical settings. The mechanism of action of ethanol on brain aging will depend on the dose, acute or chronic treatment, or withdrawal from treatment and the age examined. Due to the fact that humans experience alcohol use throughout life, important questions concern the effects of the dose and duration of ethanol treatment on the trajectory of cognitive function. Central to this research will be questions of the specificity of alcohol effects on cognitive functions and related brain regions that decline with age, as well as the interaction of alcohol with mechanisms or biomarkers of brain aging. Alternatively, moderate alcohol use may provide a source of reserve and resilience against brain aging. Longitudinal studies have the advantage of being sensitive to detecting the effects of treatment on the emergence of cognitive impairment in middle age and can minimize effects of stress/anxiety associated with the novelty of alcohol exposure and behavioral testing, which disproportionately influence aged animals. Finally, the effect of alcohol on senescent neurophysiology and biomarkers of brain aging are discussed. In particular, the interaction of age and effects of alcohol on inflammation, oxidative stress, N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor function, and the balance of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
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4
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Cruise TM, Kotlo K, Malovic E, Pandey SC. Advances in DNA, histone, and RNA methylation mechanisms in the pathophysiology of alcohol use disorder. ADVANCES IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL RESEARCH 2023; 3:10871. [PMID: 38389820 PMCID: PMC10880780 DOI: 10.3389/adar.2023.10871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) has a complex, multifactorial etiology involving dysregulation across several brain regions and peripheral organs. Acute and chronic alcohol consumption cause epigenetic modifications in these systems, which underlie changes in gene expression and subsequently, the emergence of pathophysiological phenotypes associated with AUD. One such epigenetic mechanism is methylation, which can occur on DNA, histones, and RNA. Methylation relies on one carbon metabolism to generate methyl groups, which can then be transferred to acceptor substrates. While DNA methylation of particular genes generally represses transcription, methylation of histones and RNA can have bidirectional effects on gene expression. This review summarizes one carbon metabolism and the mechanisms behind methylation of DNA, histones, and RNA. We discuss the field's findings regarding alcohol's global and gene-specific effects on methylation in the brain and liver and the resulting phenotypes characteristic of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara M Cruise
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Kumar Kotlo
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Emir Malovic
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
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5
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Domi E, Barchiesi R, Barbier E. Epigenetic Dysregulation in Alcohol-Associated Behaviors: Preclinical and Clinical Evidence. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 36717533 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by loss of control over intake and drinking despite harmful consequences. At a molecular level, AUD is associated with long-term neuroadaptations in key brain regions that are involved in reward processing and decision-making. Over the last decades, a great effort has been made to understand the neurobiological basis underlying AUD. Epigenetic mechanisms have emerged as an important mechanism in the regulation of long-term alcohol-induced gene expression changes. Here, we review the literature supporting a role for epigenetic processes in AUD. We particularly focused on the three most studied epigenetic mechanisms: DNA methylation, Histone modification and non-coding RNAs. Clinical studies indicate an association between AUD and DNA methylation both at the gene and global levels. Using behavioral paradigms that mimic some of the characteristics of AUD, preclinical studies demonstrate that changes in epigenetic mechanisms can functionally impact alcohol-associated behaviors. While many studies support a therapeutic potential for targeting epigenetic enzymes, more research is needed to fully understand their role in AUD. Identification of brain circuits underlying alcohol-associated behaviors has made major advances in recent years. However, there are very few studies that investigate how epigenetic mechanisms can affect these circuits or impact the neuronal ensembles that promote alcohol-associated behaviors. Studies that focus on the role of circuit-specific and cell-specific epigenetic changes for clinically relevant alcohol behaviors may provide new insights on the functional role of epigenetic processes in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esi Domi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, Center for Neuroscience, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Riccardo Barchiesi
- Department of Neuroscience, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Alcohol Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Estelle Barbier
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
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Engin E. GABA A receptor subtypes and benzodiazepine use, misuse, and abuse. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1060949. [PMID: 36713896 PMCID: PMC9879605 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1060949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Benzodiazepines have been in use for over half a century. While they remain highly prescribed, their unfavorable side-effect profile and abuse liability motivated a search for alternatives. Most of these efforts focused on the development of benzodiazepine-like drugs that are selective for specific GABAA receptor subtypes. While there is ample evidence that subtype-selective GABAA receptor ligands have great potential for providing symptom relief without typical benzodiazepine side-effects, it is less clear whether subtype-selective targeting strategies can also reduce misuse and abuse potential. This review focuses on the three benzodiazepine properties that are relevant to the DSM-5-TR criteria for Sedative, Hypnotic, or Anxiolytic Use Disorder, namely, reinforcing properties of benzodiazepines, maladaptive behaviors related to benzodiazepine use, and benzodiazepine tolerance and dependence. We review existing evidence regarding the involvement of different GABAA receptor subtypes in each of these areas. The reviewed studies suggest that α1-containing GABAA receptors play an integral role in benzodiazepine-induced plasticity in reward-related brain areas and might be involved in the development of tolerance and dependence to benzodiazepines. However, a systematic comparison of the contributions of all benzodiazepine-sensitive GABAA receptors to these processes, a mechanistic understanding of how the positive modulation of each receptor subtype might contribute to the brain mechanisms underlying each of these processes, and a definitive answer to the question of whether specific chronic modulation of any given subtype would result in some or all of the benzodiazepine effects are currently lacking from the literature. Moreover, how non-selective benzodiazepines might lead to the maladaptive behaviors listed in DSM and how different GABAA receptor subtypes might be involved in the development of these behaviors remains unexplored. Considering the increasing burden of benzodiazepine abuse, the common practice of benzodiazepine misuse that leads to severe dependence, and the current efforts to generate side-effect free benzodiazepine alternatives, there is an urgent need for systematic, mechanistic research that provides a better understanding of the brain mechanisms of benzodiazepine misuse and abuse, including the involvement of specific GABAA receptor subtypes in these processes, to establish an informed foundation for preclinical and clinical efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Engin
- Stress Neurobiology Laboratory, Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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Chappell K, Graw S, Washam CL, Storey AJ, Bolden C, Peterson EC, Byrum SD. PTMViz: a tool for analyzing and visualizing histone post translational modification data. BMC Bioinformatics 2021; 22:275. [PMID: 34039258 PMCID: PMC8157737 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-021-04166-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) play an important role in our system by regulating the structure of chromatin and therefore contribute to the regulation of gene and protein expression. Irregularities in histone PTMs can lead to a variety of different diseases including various forms of cancer. Histone modifications are analyzed using high resolution mass spectrometry, which generate large amounts of data that requires sophisticated bioinformatics tools for analysis and visualization. PTMViz is designed for downstream differential abundance analysis and visualization of both protein and/or histone modifications. RESULTS PTMViz provides users with data tables and visualization plots of significantly differentiated proteins and histone PTMs between two sample groups. All the data is packaged into interactive data tables and graphs using the Shiny platform to help the user explore the results in a fast and efficient manner to assess if changes in the system are due to protein abundance changes or epigenetic changes. In the example data provided, we identified several proteins differentially regulated in the dopaminergic pathway between mice treated with methamphetamine compared to a saline control. We also identified histone post-translational modifications including histone H3K9me, H3K27me3, H4K16ac, and that were regulated due to drug exposure. CONCLUSIONS Histone modifications play an integral role in the regulation of gene expression. PTMViz provides an interactive platform for analyzing proteins and histone post-translational modifications from mass spectrometry data in order to quickly identify differentially expressed proteins and PTMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Chappell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham St. slot 516, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Stefan Graw
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham St. slot 516, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA.,Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA
| | - Charity L Washam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham St. slot 516, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA.,Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA
| | - Aaron J Storey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham St. slot 516, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Chris Bolden
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Eric C Peterson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Stephanie D Byrum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham St. slot 516, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA. .,Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA.
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Dulman RS, Wandling GM, Pandey SC. Epigenetic mechanisms underlying pathobiology of alcohol use disorder. CURRENT PATHOBIOLOGY REPORTS 2020; 8:61-73. [PMID: 33747641 DOI: 10.1007/s40139-020-00210-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of review Chronic alcohol use is a worldwide problem with multifaceted consequences including multiplying medical costs and sequelae, societal effects like drunk driving and assault, and lost economic productivity. These large-scale outcomes are driven by the consumption of ethanol, a small permeable molecule that has myriad effects in the human body, particularly in the liver and brain. In this review, we have summarized effects of acute and chronic alcohol consumption on epigenetic mechanisms that may drive pathobiology of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) while identifying areas of need for future research. Recent findings Epigenetics has emerged as an interesting field of biology at the intersection of genetics and the environment, and ethanol in particular has been identified as a potent modulator of the epigenome with various effects on DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. These changes alter chromatin dynamics and regulate gene expression that contribute to behavioral and physiological changes leading to the development of AUD psychopathology and cancer pathology. Summary Evidence and discussion presented here from preclinical results and available translational studies have increased our knowledge of the epigenetic effects of alcohol consumption. These studies have identified targets that can be used to develop better therapies to reduce chronic alcohol abuse and mitigate its societal burden and pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell S Dulman
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Gabriela M Wandling
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.,Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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Zeng K, Xie A, Dong X, Jiang J, Hao W, Jiang M, Liu X. GABA-Aα5 Might Be Involved in Learning-Memory Dysfunction in the Offsprings of Chronic Ethanol-Treated Rats via GABA-Aα5 Histone H3K9 Acetylation. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1076. [PMID: 31680816 PMCID: PMC6813853 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, numerous studies have been focused on the relationship between GABA-A receptors and alcohol-induced spatial learning and memory deficits. GABA-Aα5, a subunit of GABA-A receptors, is considered to play an important role in alcohol-induced cognitive impairment, however, the mechanism remains obscure. In this study, we found that the expression of GABA-Aα5 increased in rats treated with chronic ethanol via histone H3K9 acetylation. Furthermore, this epigenetic modification could be inherited by the next generations, which eventually exhibit similar spatial learning and memory deficits in the offsprings. In summary, our results suggested that GABA-Aα5 might be involved in chronic ethanol treatment-induced learning-memory dysfunction and for the first time proved that learning-memory dysfunction could be inherited by the offsprings via histone H3K9 acetylation. Hopefully, in the near future, GABA-Aα5 inhibitors would be an effective way to treat alcohol-induced cognition impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuan Zeng
- Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, China.,Applied Psychology, Marx College, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Aimin Xie
- Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, China.,Applied Psychology, Marx College, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | | | - Jia Jiang
- Applied Psychology, Marx College, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Hao
- Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Mental Health Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital, National Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Min Jiang
- Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuebing Liu
- Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, China.,Applied Psychology, Marx College, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
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