Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The thrill can kill: murder by methylation.

Sailen Barik1

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of South Alabama, College of Medicine, 307 University Blvd., Mobile, AL 36688-0002, USA. sbarik@jaguar1.usouthal.edu

Molecular Pharmacology
|February 17, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Cocaine exposure in pregnant rats causes specific DNA methylation in offspring, reducing heart-protective protein kinase Cepsilon (PKCepsilon) expression and leading to cardiac issues.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

AI-Assisted Computed Structure Models for Pre-Ubiquitylation Complexes Assembled by Respiratory Syncytial Viral Suppressors of Cellular Interferon Response.

International journal of molecular sciences·2026
Same author

A Generalized AI View of Tricopeptide Repeats: What's in a Name.

International journal of molecular sciences·2025
Same author

Host-Parasite Interactions in <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i>-Infected Cells: Roles of Mitochondria, Microtubules, and the Parasitophorous Vacuole.

International journal of molecular sciences·2025
Same author

The Brain-Heart Network of Syncope.

International journal of molecular sciences·2024
Same author

Mitochondrial electron transport chain in macrophage reprogramming: Potential role in antibacterial immune response.

Current research in immunology·2024
Same author

Suppression of Innate Immunity by the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV): Revisiting the Specificity of Host-Virus Interactive Pathways.

International journal of molecular sciences·2023

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Pharmacology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cardiovascular Research

Background:

  • Congenital heart defects are a significant concern in infants exposed to substances during gestation.
  • The precise molecular mechanisms linking maternal cocaine use to cardiac problems in newborns remain largely unknown.

Discussion:

  • This study identifies a specific epigenetic modification, DNA methylation, at the protein kinase Cepsilon (PKCepsilon) promoter in offspring exposed to cocaine in utero.
  • This methylation event leads to decreased expression of PKCepsilon, an enzyme crucial for heart protection.

Key Insights:

  • Maternal cocaine exposure induces detrimental epigenetic changes in fetal hearts.
  • Reduced PKCepsilon expression is a key molecular pathway explaining cocaine-induced cardiotoxicity in neonates.

Outlook:

  • Further research can explore therapeutic interventions targeting epigenetic modifications to prevent or treat heart conditions in infants exposed to cocaine.
  • Understanding these molecular pathways may inform strategies to mitigate the long-term cardiovascular health risks associated with prenatal drug exposure.

Related Experiment Videos