Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods
Published on: August 4, 2022
Epigenetic down regulation of nerve growth factor during alcohol withdrawal
Annemarie Heberlein1, Marc Muschler, Helge Frieling
1Center for Addiction Research, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hanover, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, Hannover, Germany. heberlein.annemarie@mh-hannover.de
Abstract:
We investigated the Cytosin-phosphatidyl-Guanin (CpG) island promoter methylation (mean and methylation of individual CpG-sites) of the nerve growth factor (NGF) gene in the blood of alcohol-dependent patients (57 male patients) during withdrawal (days 1, 7 and 14). Methylation and NGF serum levels did not change significantly from days 1-7. From days 7-14, mean methylation increased (F = 30.55, P < 0.001), whereas the NGF serum levels decreased significantly (days 7-14: F = 17.95, P < 0.001). The NGF serum levels were significantly associated with the mean methylation of the investigated CpG-sites (F = 1.55, P < 0.001). These results imply an epigenetic regulation of the NGF gene during alcohol withdrawal.

