Effects of Stress and Chronic Alcohol Exposure on Emotional Behavior and Alcohol Consumption

Chronic stress is a known contributing factor to the development of drug and alcohol addiction. Animal models have previously shown that repeated forced swim stress promotes escalated alcohol consumption in dependent animals. To investigate the underlying molecular adaptations associated with stress and chronic alcohol exposure, RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics analyses were conducted on the prefrontal cortex (CTX) of male C57BL/6J mice that were behaviorally tested for either non-dependent alcohol consumption (CTL), chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor dependent alcohol consumption, repeated bouts of forced swim stress alone (FSS), and chronic intermittent ethanol with forced swim stress (CIE + FSS). Brain tissue from each group was collected at 0-h, 72-h, and 168-h following the final test to determine long-lasting molecular changes associated with maladaptive behavior. Our results demonstrate unique temporal patterns and persistent changes in coordinately regulated gene expression systems with respect to the tested behavioral group. For example, increased expression of genes involved in “transmitter-gated ion channel activity” was only determined for CIE + FSS. Overall, our results provide a summary of transcriptomic adaptations across time within the CTX that are relevant to understanding the neurobiology of chronic alcohol exposure and stress.

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Chronic Alcohol Exposure Alters Gene Expression and Neurodegeneration Pathways in the Brain of Adult Mice

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-215508 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 1-17

Author(s):

Mingjing Liu ◽

Shipeng Guo ◽

Daochao Huang ◽

Dongjie Hu ◽

Yili Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Energy Metabolism ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Exposure ◽

Chronic Alcohol ◽

Rna Seq ◽

Chronic Alcohol Consumption ◽

Mitochondrial Energy Metabolism ◽

Brain Transcriptome ◽

Chronic Alcohol Exposure ◽

The Brain

Background: Chronic alcohol consumption can alter the structure of the central nervous system and disrupt cognitive function. Alcoholics are more likely to develop neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the role of alcohol in promoting neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration remains unclear. Objective: In this study, we aimed at estimating the effects of chronic binge alcohol exposure on brain transcriptome and behavior changes in a chronic “Drinking in the Dark” (DID) mouse model. Methods: The adult C57BL/6J male mice were exposed to alcohol for 4 weeks. RNA-seq was applied to assess the effects of chronic alcohol exposure on transcriptome in brain. The open field test and novel object recognition test were used to assess the changes of anxiety level, locomotive function, and short-term memory induced by alcohol. RNA-seq analysis revealed that chronic alcohol exposure caused significant change in the brain transcriptome, especially in prefrontal cortex. Results: The gene dysregulation caused by chronic alcohol exposure includes pathways related to mitochondrial energy metabolism (such as oxidative phosphorylation) and multiple neurodegenerative diseases (such as AD and PD). Furthermore, the pathway and network analyses suggest that the genes involved in mitochondrial energy metabolism, ubiquitin-proteasome system, Wnt signaling pathway, and microtubules may attribute to the neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration caused by chronic alcohol consumption. Additionally, locomotive function was also significantly impaired. Conclusion: This work provides gene transcriptional profile data for future research on alcohol-induced neurodegenerative diseases, especially AD and PD.

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Effects of Chronic Alcohol Exposure on Kainate Receptor-Mediated Neurotransmission in the Hippocampus

10.21236/ada412906 ◽

2002 ◽

Author(s):

C. F. Valenzuela ◽

Daniel D. Savage ◽

Jeff. L. Weiner

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Exposure ◽

Kainate Receptor ◽

Chronic Alcohol ◽

Chronic Alcohol Exposure

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Effects of Chronic Alcohol Exposure on Kainate Receptor-Mediated Neurotransmission in the Hippocampus

10.21236/ada434072 ◽

2004 ◽

Author(s):

C. F. Valenzuela

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Exposure ◽

Kainate Receptor ◽

Chronic Alcohol ◽

Chronic Alcohol Exposure

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CB1R Promotes Chronic Alcohol-Induced Neuronal Necroptosis in Mice Prefrontal Cortex

Alcohol and Alcoholism ◽

10.1093/alcalc/agaa135 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Lin Ye ◽

Shuhao Li ◽

Xiaochen Liu ◽

Dingang Zhang ◽

Liliang Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Protein Level ◽

Cannabinoid Receptors ◽

Alcohol Exposure ◽

Global Burden ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Chronic Alcohol ◽

Inverse Agonists ◽

Alcohol Vapor ◽

Chronic Alcohol Exposure

Abstract Aims Alcohol abuse induces multiple neuropathology and causes global burden to human health. Prefrontal cortex (PFC) is one of the most susceptible regions to alcohol-induced neuropathology. However, precise mechanisms underlying these effects on PFC remain to be elucidated. Herein, we investigated whether RIP1/RIP3/MLKL-mediated necroptosis was involved in the alcohol-induced PFC injury, and explored the effect that cannabinoid receptors (CBRs) exerted on the neurotoxicity of alcohol. Methods In this study, dynamic development of neuronal necroptosis in the PFC region was monitored after 95% (v/v) alcohol vapor administration for 15 and 30 days, respectively. Selective CBRs agonists or inverse agonists were pretreated according to the experimental design. All the PFC tissues were isolated and further examined by biochemical and histopathological analyses. Results It was found that chronic alcohol exposure increased the protein level of MLKL and also the phosphorylated levels of RIP1, RIP3 and MLKL in a time-dependent manner, all of which indicated the activation of necroptosis signaling. Particularly, compared to astrocytes, neurons from the PFC showed more prototypical necrotic morphology in response to alcohol insults. In parallel, an increased protein level of CB1R was also found after 15 and 30 days alcohol exposure. Administration of specific inverse agonists of CB1R (AM251 and AM281), but not its agonists or CB2R modulators, significantly alleviated the RIP1/RIP3/MLKL-mediated neuronal necroptosis. Conclusion We reported the involvement of RIP1/RIP3/MLKL-mediated necroptosis in alcohol-induced PFC neurotoxicity, and identified CB1R as a critical regulator of neuronal necroptosis that enhanced our understanding of alcohol-induced neuropathology in the PFC.

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Chronic alcohol exposure inhibits biotin uptake by pancreatic acinar cells: possible involvement of epigenetic mechanisms

AJP Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpgi.00278.2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 307 (9) ◽

pp. G941-G949 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Padmanabhan Srinivasan ◽

Rubina Kapadia ◽

Arundhati Biswas ◽

Hamid M. Said

Keyword(s):

Transgenic Mice ◽

Chronic Exposure ◽

Methylation Status ◽

Acinar Cells ◽

Alcohol Exposure ◽

Significant Inhibition ◽

Pancreatic Acinar Cells ◽

Chronic Alcohol ◽

Wild Type ◽

Chronic Alcohol Exposure

Chronic exposure to alcohol affects different physiological aspects of pancreatic acinar cells (PAC), but its effect on the uptake process of biotin is not known. We addressed this issue using mouse-derived pancreatic acinar 266-6 cells chronically exposed to alcohol and wild-type and transgenic mice (carrying the human SLC5A6 5′-promoter) fed alcohol chronically. First we established that biotin uptake by PAC is Na+ dependent and carrier mediated and involves sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT). Chronic exposure of 266-6 cells to alcohol led to a significant inhibition in biotin uptake, expression of SMVT protein, and mRNA as well as in the activity of the SLC5A6 promoter. Similarly, chronic alcohol feeding of wild-type and transgenic mice carrying the SLC5A6 promoter led to a significant inhibition in biotin uptake by PAC, as well as in the expression of SMVT protein and mRNA and the activity of the SLC5A6 promoters expressed in the transgenic mice. We also found that chronic alcohol feeding of mice is associated with a significant increase in the methylation status of CpG islands predicted to be in the mouse Slc5a6 promoters and a decrease in the level of expression of transcription factor KLF-4, which plays an important role in regulating SLC5A6 promoter activity. These results demonstrate, for the first time, that chronic alcohol exposure negatively impacts biotin uptake in PAC and that this effect is exerted (at least in part) at the level of transcription of the SLC5A6 gene and may involve epigenetic/molecular mechanisms.

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