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Friske MM, Torrico EC, Haas MJW, Borruto AM, Giannone F, Hade AC, Yu Y, Gao L, Sutherland GT, Hitzemann R, Philips MA, Fei SS, Sommer WH, Mayfield RD, Spanagel R. A systematic review and meta-analysis on the transcriptomic signatures in alcohol use disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02719-x. [PMID: 39242950 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02719-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Currently available clinical treatments on alcohol use disorder (AUD) exhibit limited efficacy and new druggable targets are required. One promising approach to discover new molecular treatment targets involves the transcriptomic profiling of brain regions within the addiction neurocircuitry, utilizing animal models and postmortem brain tissue from deceased patients with AUD. Unfortunately, such studies suffer from large heterogeneity and small sample sizes. To address these limitations, we conducted a cross-species meta-analysis on transcriptome-wide data obtained from brain tissue of patients with AUD and animal models. We integrated 36 cross-species transcriptome-wide RNA-expression datasets with an alcohol-dependent phenotype vs. controls, following the PRISMA guidelines. In total, we meta-analyzed 964 samples - 502 samples from the prefrontal cortex (PFC), 282 nucleus accumbens (NAc) samples, and 180 from amygdala (AMY). The PFC had the highest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across rodents, monkeys, and humans. Commonly dysregulated DEGs suggest conserved cross-species mechanisms for chronic alcohol consumption/AUD comprising MAPKs as well as STAT, IRF7, and TNF. Furthermore, we identified numerous unique gene sets that might contribute individually to these conserved mechanisms and also suggest novel molecular aspects of AUD. Validation of the transcriptomic alterations on the protein level revealed interesting targets for further investigation. Finally, we identified a combination of DEGs that are commonly regulated across different brain tissues as potential biomarkers for AUD. In summary, we provide a compendium of genes that are assessable via a shiny app, and describe signaling pathways, and physiological and cellular processes that are altered in AUD that require future studies for functional validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion M Friske
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research and the Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Eva C Torrico
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maximilian J W Haas
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna M Borruto
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Francesco Giannone
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andreas-Christian Hade
- Department of Pathological Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Forensic Medical Examination Department, Estonian Forensic Science Institute, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Yun Yu
- Bioinformatics & Biostatistics Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University West Campus, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Lina Gao
- Bioinformatics & Biostatistics Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University West Campus, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Greg T Sutherland
- New South Wales Tissue Resource Center, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Robert Hitzemann
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Mari-Anne Philips
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Suzanne S Fei
- Bioinformatics & Biostatistics Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University West Campus, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Wolfgang H Sommer
- Bethania Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Greifswald, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ulm, Mannheim, Germany
| | - R Dayne Mayfield
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research and the Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ulm, Mannheim, Germany.
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Takeuchi F, Hagiyama M, Yoneshige A, Wada A, Inoue T, Hosokawa Y, Ito A. Relief of pain in mice by an antibody with high affinity for cell adhesion molecule 1 on nerves. Life Sci 2024:122997. [PMID: 39173997 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 08/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily and is abundantly expressed on nerve fibers. Recently, the anti-CADM1 ectodomain antibody 3E1 has proven useful as a drug delivery vector for CADM1-expressing cells in vitro. When injected subcutaneously into mice, whether 3E1 accumulates on nerve fibers and serves as an analgesic was examined. MAIN METHODS Injected 3E1 was detected by immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence. Analgesic effects were verified by a formalin-induced chemical-inflammatory pain test and video-recorded behavior analysis that were performed 6, 12, and 24 h after antibody injection. Primary cultures of mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells were incubated with 3E1 and expressions of CADM1 and its key downstream molecules were examined by Western blot analyses and live cell imaging. DRG cells were loaded with a Ca2+ fluorescent indicator Fluo-8 and a femtosecond laser pulse was irradiated near the cell body to mechanically stimulate the nerves. KEY FINDINGS Subcutaneously injected 3E1 was widely localized almost exclusively on peripheral nerve fibers in the dermis. In formalin tests, 3E1-injected mice exhibited less pain-related behavior than control mice. When 3E1 was added to DRG cell cultures, it localized to neurites and resulted in decreased expression of CADM1, increased phosphorylation of Src and Akt, and CADM1-3E1 complex formation. Femtosecond laser-induced stimulation transmission along neurites was clearly visualized by Fluo-8 fluorescence in control cells, whereas it was markedly suppressed in 3E1-treated cells. SIGNIFICANCE 3E1 was suggested to be a potential long-acting analgesic based on its high affinity for CADM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuka Takeuchi
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kindai University, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan
| | - Man Hagiyama
- Department of Pathology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan
| | - Azusa Yoneshige
- Department of Pathology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan
| | - Akihiro Wada
- Department of Pathology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan
| | - Takao Inoue
- Department of Pathology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan
| | - Yoichiroh Hosokawa
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan; Medilux Research Center, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Akihiko Ito
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kindai University, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan; Department of Pathology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan.
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Andrade-Brito DE, Núñez-Ríos DL, Martínez-Magaña JJ, Nagamatsu ST, Rompala G, Zillich L, Witt SH, Clark SL, Lattig MC, Montalvo-Ortiz JL. Neuronal-specific methylome and hydroxymethylome analysis reveal significant loci associated with alcohol use disorder. Front Genet 2024; 15:1345410. [PMID: 38633406 PMCID: PMC11021708 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1345410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex condition associated with adverse health consequences that affect millions of individuals worldwide. Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation (5 mC), have been associated with AUD and other alcohol-related traits. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) have identified differentially methylated genes associated with AUD in human peripheral and brain tissue. More recently, epigenetic studies of AUD have also evaluated DNA hydroxymethylation (5 hmC) in the human brain. However, most of the epigenetic work in postmortem brain tissue has examined bulk tissue. In this study, we investigated neuronal-specific 5 mC and 5 hmC alterations at CpG sites associated with AUD in the human orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Methods: Neuronal nuclei from the OFC were evaluated in 34 human postmortem brain samples (10 AUD, 24 non-AUD). Reduced representation oxidative bisulfite sequencing was used to assess 5 mC and 5 hmC at the genome-wide level. Differential 5 mC and 5 hmC were evaluated using the methylKit R package and significance was set at false discovery rate < 0.05 and differential methylation > 2. Functional enrichment analyses were performed, and gene-level convergence was evaluated in an independent dataset that assessed 5 mC and 5 hmC of AUD in bulk cortical tissue. Results: We identified 417 5 mC and 363 5hmC significant differential CpG sites associated with AUD, with 59% in gene promoters. Some of the identified genes have been previously implicated in alcohol consumption, including SYK, DNMT3A for 5 mC, GAD1, DLX1, DLX2, for 5 hmC and GATA4 in both. Convergence with a previous AUD 5 mC and 5 hmC study was observed for 28 genes. We also identified 5 and 35 differential regions for 5 mC and 5 hmC, respectively. Lastly, GWAS enrichment analysis showed an association with AUD for differential 5 mC genes. Discussion: This study reveals neuronal-specific methylome and hydroxymethylome dysregulation associated with AUD, identifying both previously reported and potentially novel gene associations with AUD. Our findings provide new insights into the epigenomic dysregulation of AUD in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego E. Andrade-Brito
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Diana L. Núñez-Ríos
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - José Jaime Martínez-Magaña
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Sheila T. Nagamatsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Gregory Rompala
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Lea Zillich
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie H. Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Shaunna L. Clark
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Maria C. Lattig
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Janitza L. Montalvo-Ortiz
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
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Hade AC, Philips MA, Promet L, Jagomäe T, Hanumantharaju A, Salumäe L, Reimann E, Plaas M, Vasar E, Väli M. A cost-effective and efficient ex vivo, ex situ human whole brain perfusion protocol for immunohistochemistry. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 404:110059. [PMID: 38218387 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110059] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chemical fixation of the brain can be executed through either the immersion method or the perfusion method. Perfusion fixation allows for better preservation of the brain tissue's ultrastructure, as it provides rapid and uniform delivery of the fixative to the tissue. Still, not all facilities have the expertise to perform perfusion fixation, with initial high cost and complexity of perfusion systems as the main factors limiting its widespread usage. NEW METHOD Here we present our low-cost approach of whole brain ex situ perfusion fixation to overcome the aforementioned limitations. Our self-made perfusion system, constructed utilising commercially accessible and affordable medical resources alongside laboratory and everyday items, demonstrates the capability to generate superior histological stainings of brain tissue. The perfused tissue can be stored prior to proceeding with IHC for at least one year. RESULTS Our method yielded high-quality results in histological stainings using both free-floating cryosections and paraffin-embedded tissue sections. The system is fully reusable and complies with the principles of sustainable management. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Our whole brain perfusion system has been assembled from simple components and is able to achieve a linear flow with a pressure of 70 mmHg corresponding to the perfusion pressure of the brain. CONCLUSIONS Our ex situ method can be especially useful in research settings where expensive perfusion systems are not affordable or in any field with high time pressure, making it suitable for the field of forensic medicine or pathology in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas-Christian Hade
- Department of Pathological Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, University of Tartu, 19 Ravila Street, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; Estonian Forensic Science Institute, Tervise 20, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Mari-Anne Philips
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Centre of Excellence in Genomics and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Liisi Promet
- International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Toomas Jagomäe
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Centre of Excellence in Genomics and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Arpana Hanumantharaju
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Centre of Excellence in Genomics and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Liis Salumäe
- Pathology Service, Tartu University Hospital; Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ene Reimann
- Estonian Genome Centre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mario Plaas
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Centre of Excellence in Genomics and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Eero Vasar
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Centre of Excellence in Genomics and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Marika Väli
- Department of Pathological Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, University of Tartu, 19 Ravila Street, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; Estonian Forensic Science Institute, Tervise 20, Tallinn, Estonia
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Andrade-Brito DE, Núñez-Ríos DL, Martínez-Magaña JJ, Nagamatsu ST, Rompala G, Zillich L, Witt SH, Clark SL, Latig MC, Montalvo-Ortiz JL. Neuronal-specific methylome and hydroxymethylome analysis reveal replicated and novel loci associated with alcohol use disorder. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.11.28.23299094. [PMID: 38105948 PMCID: PMC10725575 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.28.23299094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex condition associated with adverse health consequences that affect millions of individuals worldwide. Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation (5mC), have been associated with AUD and other alcohol-related traits. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) have identified differentially methylated genes associated with AUD in human peripheral and brain tissue. More recently, epigenetic studies of AUD have also evaluated DNA hydroxymethylation (5hmC) in the human brain. However, most of the epigenetic work in postmortem brain tissue has examined bulk tissue. In this study, we investigated neuronal-specific 5mC and 5hmC alterations at CpG sites associated with AUD in the human orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Neuronal nuclei from the OFC were evaluated in 34 human postmortem brain samples (10 AUD, 24 non-AUD). Reduced representation oxidative bisulfite sequencing was used to assess 5mC and 5hmC at the genome-wide level. Differential 5mC and 5hmC were evaluated using the methylKit R package and significance was set at false discovery rate <0.05 and differential methylation >2. Functional enrichment analyses were performed and replication was evaluated replication in an independent dataset that assessed 5mC and 5hmC of AUD in bulk cortical tissue. We identified 417 5mC and 363 5hmC genome-wide significant differential CpG sites associated with AUD, with 59% in gene promoters. We also identified genes previously implicated in alcohol consumption, such as SYK, CHRM2, DNMT3A, and GATA4, for 5mC and GATA4, and GAD1, GATA4, DLX1 for 5hmC. Replication was observed for 28 CpG sites from a previous AUD 5mC and 5hmC study, including FOXP1. Lastly, GWAS enrichment analysis showed an association with AUD for differential 5mC genes. This study reveals neuronal-specific methylome and hydroxymethylome dysregulation associated with AUD. We replicated previous findings and identified novel associations with AUD for both 5mC and 5hmC marks within the OFC. Our findings provide new insights into the epigenomic dysregulation of AUD in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego E. Andrade-Brito
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Diana L. Núñez-Ríos
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - José Jaime Martínez-Magaña
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sheila T. Nagamatsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Gregory Rompala
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Lea Zillich
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie H. Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Shaunna L. Clark
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Maria C. Latig
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Janitza L. Montalvo-Ortiz
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
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Zhao Y, Han X, Zheng ZL. Analysis of the brain transcriptome for substance-associated genes: An update on large-scale genome-wide association studies. Addict Biol 2023; 28:e13332. [PMID: 37753566 PMCID: PMC10539015 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) arises from the initiation to subsequent regular, irregular and harmful use of substances such as alcohol, tobacco/nicotine and cannabis. While thousands of genetic variants have been identified from recent large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS), understanding their functions in substance involvement and investigating the mechanisms by which they act in the addiction circuits remains challenging. In this study, we re-analysed the brain regional transcriptome data from the most comprehensive postmortem transcriptomic study, with a focus on up- or down-regulation of substance-associated protein-coding genes in the addiction circuit-related brain regions (AddictRegions), including six cortical and 11 subcortical regions. We found that substance-associated genes were overrepresented in AddictRegions. Interestingly, we observed a greater degree of genetic overlap between initiation and use and between use and SUD than between initiation and SUD. Moreover, substance initiation, use and SUD-associated genes tend to shift their enriched AddictRegions from the cortical for initiation and, to a lesser extent, substance use to subcortical regions for SUD (e.g., thalamus, substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area). We also uncovered a pattern of coordinated cortical up-regulation and subcortical down-regulation for the genes associated with tobacco initiation and alcohol use. Moreover, the Gene Ontology terms of glutamate receptor activity and neurotransmitter binding were most significantly overrepresented in AddictRegion-upregulated, substance-associated genes, with the strongest enrichment for those involved in common substance use behaviours. Overall, our analysis provides a resource of AddictRegion-related transcriptomes for studying substance-associated genes and generates intriguing insights into the genetic control of substance initiation, use and SUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihong Zhao
- Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Xuewei Han
- Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Zhi-Liang Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, NY 10068, USA
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Denier N, Soravia LM, Moggi F, Stein M, Grieder M, Federspiel A, Kupper Z, Wiest R, Bracht T. Associations of thalamocortical networks with reduced mindfulness in alcohol use disorder. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1123204. [PMID: 37484679 PMCID: PMC10358776 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1123204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Increased mindfulness is associated with reduced alcohol consumption in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) after residential treatment. However, the underlying neurobiological mechanism of mindfulness in AUD is unclear. Therefore, we investigate the structural and functional alterations of the thalamocortical system with a focus on the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD-TN), the default mode and the salience network (DMN/SN) which has previously been associated with mindfulness in healthy subjects. We hypothesized lower mindfulness and reduced structural and functional connectivity (FC) of the thalamocortical system, particularly in the DMN/SN in AUD. We assumed that identified neurobiological alterations in AUD are associated with impairments of mindfulness. Methods Forty-five abstinent patients with AUD during residential treatment and 20 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. Structural and resting-state functional MRI-scans were acquired. We analysed levels of mindfulness, thalamic volumes and network centrality degree of the MD-TN using multivariate statistics. Using seed-based whole brain analyses we investigated functional connectivity (FC) of the MD-TN. We performed exploratory correlational analyses of structural and functional DMN/SN measurements with levels of mindfulness. Results In AUD we found significantly lower levels of mindfulness, lower bilateral thalamic and left MD-TN volumes, reduced FC between MD-TN and anterior cingulum/insula and lower network centrality degree of the left MD-TN as compared to HC. In AUD, lower mindfulness was associated with various reductions of structural and functional aspects of the MD-TN. Conclusion Our results suggest that structural and functional alterations of a network including the MD-TN and the DMN/SN underlies disturbed mindfulness in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklaus Denier
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Leila M. Soravia
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
- Clinic Suedhang, Kirchlindach, Switzerland
| | - Franz Moggi
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Maria Stein
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Grieder
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Federspiel
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Zeno Kupper
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Roland Wiest
- Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Bracht
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
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