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Chronic ethanol-induced subtype- and subregion-specific decrease in the mRNA expression of metabotropic glutamate
Agnes Simonyi1, Michael R Christian, Albert Y Sun
1Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212, USA. simonyia@health.missouri.edu
Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research
|September 15, 2004
Summary
Chronic ethanol consumption significantly decreases messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of several metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors in rat hippocampus. These changes may contribute to alcohol-related cognitive deficits and seizures.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuropharmacology
Background:
- Chronic ethanol consumption alters hippocampal glutamatergic transmission and NMDA receptor function.
- Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors modulate neuronal excitability and glutamatergic transmission.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of chronic ethanol treatment on the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of mGlu receptors in the hippocampus.
Main Methods:
- Male Sprague Dawley rats were administered a liquid diet containing 5% ethanol or maltose for two months.
- Quantitative in situ hybridization was used to analyze hippocampal brain sections.
Main Results:
- Ethanol-treated rats showed significantly decreased mRNA levels for mGlu3 and mGlu5 receptors in the dentate gyrus.
- The CA3 region exhibited reduced mRNA expression of mGlu1, mGlu5, and mGlu7 receptors.
- mGlu7 receptor mRNA levels also decreased in the CA1 region and dentate gyrus polymorph layer; mGlu2, mGlu4, and mGlu8 mRNA levels remained unchanged.
Conclusions:
- Reduced hippocampal mGlu receptor expression may contribute to ethanol withdrawal-induced seizures.
- These alterations could play a role in cognitive deficits and brain damage associated with long-term alcohol consumption.