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Guerin SP, Melbourne JK, Dang HQ, Shaji CA, Nixon K. Astrocyte Reactivity and Neurodegeneration in the Female Rat Brain Following Alcohol Dependence. Neuroscience 2023; 529:183-199. [PMID: 37598836 PMCID: PMC10810177 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.08.016] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that alcohol use disorder (AUD) may manifest itself differently in women compared to men. Women experience AUDs on an accelerated timeline and may have certain regional vulnerabilities. In male rats, neuronal cell death and astrocyte reactivity are noted following induction of alcohol dependence in an animal model of an AUD. However, the regional and temporal patterns of neurodegeneration and astrocyte reactivity have yet to be fully examined in females using this model. Therefore, adult female rats were exposed to a 4-day binge model of alcohol dependence followed by different periods of abstinence. Histological markers for FluoroJade B, a label of degenerating neurons, and vimentin, a marker for reactive astrocytes, were utilized. The expression of these markers in cortical and limbic regions was quantified immediately after their last dose (e.g., T0), or 2, 7, and 14 days later. Significant neuronal cell death was noted in the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus, similar to previous reports in males, but also in several cortical regions not previously observed. Vimentin immunoreactivity was noted in the same regions as previously reported, in addition to three novel regions. Vimentin immunoreactivity also occurred at earlier and later time points in some cortical and hippocampal regions. These data suggest that both neuronal cell death and astrocyte reactivity could be more widespread in females compared to males. Therefore, this study provides a framework for specific regions and time points which should be examined in future studies of alcohol-induced damage that include female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven P Guerin
- The University of Texas at Austin, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Jennifer K Melbourne
- The University of Texas at Austin, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Huy Q Dang
- The University of Texas at Austin, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Chinchusha Anasooya Shaji
- The University of Texas at Austin, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Kimberly Nixon
- The University of Texas at Austin, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Austin, TX 78712, United States.
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2
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Maggioni E, Rossetti MG, Allen NB, Batalla A, Bellani M, Chye Y, Cousijn J, Goudriaan AE, Hester R, Hutchison K, Li CSR, Martin-Santos R, Momenan R, Sinha R, Schmaal L, Solowij N, Suo C, van Holst RJ, Veltman DJ, Yücel M, Thompson PM, Conrod P, Mackey S, Garavan H, Brambilla P, Lorenzetti V. Brain volumes in alcohol use disorder: Do females and males differ? A whole-brain magnetic resonance imaging mega-analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:4652-4666. [PMID: 37436103 PMCID: PMC10400785 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests distinct neurobiological correlates of alcohol use disorder (AUD) between sexes, which however remain largely unexplored. This work from ENIGMA Addiction Working Group aimed to characterize the sex differences in gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) correlates of AUD using a whole-brain, voxel-based, multi-tissue mega-analytic approach, thereby extending our recent surface-based region of interest findings on a nearly matching sample using a complementary methodological approach. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 653 people with AUD and 326 controls was analyzed using voxel-based morphometry. The effects of group, sex, group-by-sex, and substance use severity in AUD on brain volumes were assessed using General Linear Models. Individuals with AUD relative to controls had lower GM volume in striatal, thalamic, cerebellar, and widespread cortical clusters. Group-by-sex effects were found in cerebellar GM and WM volumes, which were more affected by AUD in females than males. Smaller group-by-sex effects were also found in frontotemporal WM tracts, which were more affected in AUD females, and in temporo-occipital and midcingulate GM volumes, which were more affected in AUD males. AUD females but not males showed a negative association between monthly drinks and precentral GM volume. Our results suggest that AUD is associated with both shared and distinct widespread effects on GM and WM volumes in females and males. This evidence advances our previous region of interest knowledge, supporting the usefulness of adopting an exploratory perspective and the need to include sex as a relevant moderator variable in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Maggioni
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria G Rossetti
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Nicholas B Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Albert Batalla
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marcella Bellani
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Yann Chye
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Melbourne, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Neuroscience of Addiction Lab, Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anna E Goudriaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Robert Hester
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kent Hutchison
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Rocio Martin-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Reza Momenan
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Lianne Schmaal
- Orygen, Parkville, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Chao Suo
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Australian Characterisation Commons at Scale (ACCS) Project, Monash eResearch Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ruth J van Holst
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dick J Veltman
- Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Murat Yücel
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Melbourne, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Patricia Conrod
- Department of Psychiatry, Universite de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Scott Mackey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
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Nallapu BT, Petersen KK, Lipton RB, Grober E, Sperling RA, Ezzati A. Association of Alcohol Consumption with Cognition in Older Population: The A4 Study. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 93:1381-1393. [PMID: 37182868 PMCID: PMC10392870 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221079] [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] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorders have been categorized as a 'strongly modifiable' risk factor for dementia. OBJECTIVE To investigate the cross-sectional association between alcohol consumption and cognition in older adults and if it is different across sexes or depends on amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation in the brain. METHODS Cognitively unimpaired older adults (N = 4387) with objective and subjective cognitive assessments and amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) imaging were classified into four categories based on their average daily alcohol use. Multivariable linear regression was then used to test the main effects and interactions with sex and Aβ levels. RESULTS Individuals who reported no alcohol consumption had lower scores on the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite (PACC) compared to those consuming one or two drinks/day. In sex-stratified analysis, the association between alcohol consumption and cognition was more prominent in females. Female participants who consumed two drinks/day had better performance on PACC and Cognitive Function Index (CFI) than those who reported no alcohol consumption. In an Aβ-stratified sample, the association between alcohol consumption and cognition was present only in the Aβ- subgroup. The interaction between Aβ status and alcohol consumption on cognition was not significant. CONCLUSION Low or moderate consumption of alcohol was associated with better objective cognitive performance and better subjective report of daily functioning in cognitively unimpaired individuals. The association was present only in Aβ- individuals, suggesting that the pathophysiologic mechanism underlying the effect of alcohol on cognition is independent of Aβ pathology. Further investigation is required with larger samples consuming three or more drinks/day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhargav T. Nallapu
- Saul B. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Kellen K. Petersen
- Saul B. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Richard B. Lipton
- Saul B. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Ellen Grober
- Saul B. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Reisa A. Sperling
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ali Ezzati
- Saul B. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
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Wood EK, Gabrielle N, Hunter J, Skowbo AN, Schwandt ML, Lindell SG, Barr CS, Suomi SJ, Higley JD. Early Rearing Conditions Affect Monoamine Metabolite Levels During Baseline and Periods of Social Separation Stress: A Non-human Primate Model ( Macaca mulatta). Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:624676. [PMID: 33897393 PMCID: PMC8062724 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.624676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of studies show that parental absence early in life leads to deleterious effects on the developing CNS. This is thought to be largely because evolutionary-dependent stimuli are necessary for the appropriate postnatal development of the young brain, an effect sometimes termed the "experience-expectant brain," with parents providing the necessary input for normative synaptic connections to develop and appropriate neuronal survival to occur. Principal among CNS systems affected by parental input are the monoamine systems. In the present study, N = 434 rhesus monkeys (233 males, 201 females) were reared in one of two conditions: as mother-reared controls (MR; n = 269) or without adults with 24-h access to same-aged peers (PR; n = 165). When subjects were six-months-old, they underwent a separation paradigm involving 4, sequential, four-day social separations from their mothers or peers, with each separation followed by three-day reunions with their mothers or their peers. Prior to the separation paradigm, baseline cisternal CSF samples were obtained, as well as at the end of each the four social separations, and after final separation, during a recovery period. CSF was assayed for concentrations of monoamine metabolites and a blood sample was genotyped for the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) genotype. Replicating earlier landmark findings, PR subjects with the s allele exhibited lower baseline concentrations of the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), when compared to PR subjects homozygous for the L allele. MR subjects were undifferentiated by genotype. PR subjects exhibited lower CSF 5-HIAA concentrations during baseline, but higher CSF 5-HIAA during social separations, when compared to MR subjects. There were rearing effects for the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid (HVA) and for the norepinephrine metabolite 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), with PR subjects showing higher HVA and lower MHPG when compared to MR subjects. These findings indicate that there are long-term deficits in the response of monoamines following early maternal absence. The results of this study confirm and extend earlier findings that early parental absence has deleterious consequences for the development of the monoamine systems, and that these consequences are modulated by the 5-HTT genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K. Wood
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Natalia Gabrielle
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Jacob Hunter
- Department of Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Andrea N. Skowbo
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Melanie L. Schwandt
- Laboratory of Clinical Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Stephen G. Lindell
- Laboratory of Clinical Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Section of Comparative Behavioral Genomics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Christina S. Barr
- Laboratory of Clinical Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Section of Comparative Behavioral Genomics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Stephen J. Suomi
- Section of Comparative Ethology, Eunice Shriver Kennedy National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, MD, United States
| | - J. Dee Higley
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
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5
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Rossetti MG, Patalay P, Mackey S, Allen NB, Batalla A, Bellani M, Chye Y, Cousijn J, Goudriaan AE, Hester R, Hutchison K, Li CSR, Martin-Santos R, Momenan R, Sinha R, Schmaal L, Sjoerds Z, Solowij N, Suo C, van Holst RJ, Veltman DJ, Yücel M, Thompson PM, Conrod P, Garavan H, Brambilla P, Lorenzetti V. Gender-related neuroanatomical differences in alcohol dependence: findings from the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 30:102636. [PMID: 33857771 PMCID: PMC8065340 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
We tested gender differences in brain volumes of alcohol dependent vs control groups. Group differences in brain volumes emerged as gross and widespread. Group-by-gender effects emerged in selected brain regions (cerebellum, amygdala) In dependent users, greater alcohol use predicted smaller amygdala and larger cerebellum GM volume. Our results highlight the need to account for gender differences in MRI studies of alcohol dependence.
Gender-related differences in the susceptibility, progression and clinical outcomes of alcohol dependence are well-known. However, the neurobiological substrates underlying such differences remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate gender differences in the neuroanatomy (i.e. regional brain volumes) of alcohol dependence. We examined the volume of a priori regions of interest (i.e., orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, caudate, putamen, pallidum, thalamus, corpus callosum, cerebellum) and global brain measures (i.e., total grey matter (GM), total white matter (WM) and cerebrospinal fluid). Volumes were compared between 660 people with alcohol dependence (228 women) and 326 controls (99 women) recruited from the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group, accounting for intracranial volume, age and education years. Compared to controls, individuals with alcohol dependence on average had (3–9%) smaller volumes of the hippocampus (bilateral), putamen (left), pallidum (left), thalamus (right), corpus callosum, total GM and WM, and cerebellar GM (bilateral), the latter more prominently in women (right). Alcohol-dependent men showed smaller amygdala volume than control men, but this effect was unclear among women. In people with alcohol dependence, more monthly standard drinks predicted smaller amygdala and larger cerebellum GM volumes. The neuroanatomical differences associated with alcohol dependence emerged as gross and widespread, while those associated with a specific gender may be confined to selected brain regions. These findings warrant future neuroscience research to account for gender differences in alcohol dependence to further understand the neurobiological effects of alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gloria Rossetti
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Praveetha Patalay
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies and MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, IOE and Population Health Sciences, UCL, United Kingdom
| | - Scott Mackey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Nicholas B Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
| | - Albert Batalla
- Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marcella Bellani
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Yann Chye
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, & Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anna E Goudriaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Neuroscience Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Robert Hester
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kent Hutchison
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Rocio Martin-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Reza Momenan
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Lianne Schmaal
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Australia; Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Zsuzsika Sjoerds
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Chao Suo
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, & Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ruth J van Holst
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Neuroscience Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dick J Veltman
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Murat Yücel
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, & Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Patricia Conrod
- Department of Psychiatry, Universite de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural & Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Sex differences in the neuroanatomy of alcohol dependence: hippocampus and amygdala subregions in a sample of 966 people from the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:156. [PMID: 33664226 PMCID: PMC7933136 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01204-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Males and females with alcohol dependence have distinct mental health and cognitive problems. Animal models of addiction postulate that the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are partially distinct, but there is little evidence of sex differences in humans with alcohol dependence as most neuroimaging studies have been conducted in males. We examined hippocampal and amygdala subregions in a large sample of 966 people from the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group. This comprised 643 people with alcohol dependence (225 females), and a comparison group of 323 people without alcohol dependence (98 females). Males with alcohol dependence had smaller volumes of the total amygdala and its basolateral nucleus than male controls, that exacerbated with alcohol dose. Alcohol dependence was also associated with smaller volumes of the hippocampus and its CA1 and subiculum subfield volumes in both males and females. In summary, hippocampal and amygdalar subregions may be sensitive to both shared and distinct mechanisms in alcohol-dependent males and females.
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7
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Differential expression of microRNAs in the hippocampi of male and female rodents after chronic alcohol administration. Biol Sex Differ 2020; 11:65. [PMID: 33228793 PMCID: PMC7684718 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-020-00342-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Women are more vulnerable than men to the neurotoxicity and severe brain damage caused by chronic heavy alcohol use. In addition, brain damage due to chronic heavy alcohol use may be associated with sex-dependent epigenetic modifications. This study aimed to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) and their target genes that are differentially expressed in the hippocampi of male and female animal models in response to alcohol. Methods After chronic alcohol administration (3~3.5 g/kg/day) in male (control, n = 10; alcohol, n = 12) or female (control, n = 10; alcohol, n = 12) Sprague-Dawley rats for 6 weeks, we measured body weights and doublecortin (DCX; a neurogenesis marker) concentrations and analyzed up- or downregulated miRNAs using GeneChip miRNA 4.0 arrays. The differentially expressed miRNAs and their putative target genes were validated by RT-qPCR. Results Alcohol attenuated body weight gain only in the male group. On the other hand, alcohol led to increased serum AST in female rats and decreased serum total cholesterol concentrations in male rats. The expression of DCX was significantly reduced in the hippocampi of male alcohol-treated rats. Nine miRNAs were significantly up- or downregulated in male alcohol-treated rats, including upregulation of miR-125a-3p, let-7a-5p, and miR-3541, and downregulation of their target genes (Prdm5, Suv39h1, Ptprz1, Mapk9, Ing4, Wt1, Nkx3-1, Dab2ip, Rnf152, Ripk1, Lin28a, Apbb3, Nras, and Acvr1c). On the other hand, 7 miRNAs were significantly up- or downregulated in alcohol-treated female rats, including downregulation of miR-881-3p and miR-504 and upregulation of their target genes (Naa50, Clock, Cbfb, Arih1, Ube2g1, and Gng7). Conclusions These results suggest that chronic heavy alcohol use produces sex-dependent effects on neurogenesis and miRNA expression in the hippocampus and that sex differences should be considered when developing miRNA biomarkers to diagnose or treat alcoholics. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13293-020-00342-3.
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Fama R, Le Berre AP, Sullivan EV. Alcohol's Unique Effects on Cognition in Women: A 2020 (Re)view to Envision Future Research and Treatment. Alcohol Res 2020; 40:03. [PMID: 32923307 PMCID: PMC7473713 DOI: 10.35946/arcr.v40.2.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use and misuse is increasing among women. Although the prevalence of drinking remains higher in men than women, the gender gap is narrowing. This narrative review focuses on the cognitive sequelae of alcohol consumption in women. Studies of acute alcohol effects on cognition indicate that women typically perform worse than men on tasks requiring divided attention, memory, and decision-making. Beneficial effects of moderate alcohol consumption on cognition have been reported; however, a number of studies have cautioned that other factors may be driving that association. Although chronic heavy drinking affects working memory, visuospatial abilities, balance, emotional processing, and social cognition in women and men, sex differences mark the severity and specific profile of functional deficits. The accelerated or compressed progression of alcohol-related problems and their consequences observed in women relative to men, referred to as "telescoping," highlights sex differences in the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, cognitive, and psychological consequences of alcohol. Brain volume deficits affecting multiple systems, including frontolimbic and frontocerebellar networks, contribute to impairment. Taken together, sex-related differences highlight the complexity of this chronic disease in women and underscore the relevance of examining the roles of age, drinking patterns, duration of abstinence, medical history, and psychiatric comorbidities in defining and understanding alcohol-related cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary Fama
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
- Neuroscience Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Anne-Pascale Le Berre
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Edith V Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
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Han J, Wang G, Liu M, Chai R, Guo J, Zhang F, Lu C, Zhang Y, Wang H, Zhang R. Effects of quetiapine on behavioral changes and expression of myelin proteins in a chronic alcohol dependence rat model. Behav Brain Res 2020; 385:112561. [PMID: 32070690 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As an atypical antipsychotic drug, quetiapine had been approved for bipolar disorder and for adjunctive therapy in major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. Recently quetiapine has been suggested to be a promising pharmacotherapy for alcohol dependence. This study was performed to determine the effects of quetiapine in rats chronically exposed to ethanol. METHODS Rats were exposed to ethanol solution (10 %; v/v) for 6 weeks. Saline or one of three doses of quetiapine (10, 20 or 40 mg/kg/day) was given by oral gavage while ethanol exposure for the next 14 weeks. Performance of learning and memory and withdrawal signs were evaluated. Then immunohistochemistry, western blot, quantitative real-time-PCR and transmission electron microscopy were performed to determine the effects of quetiapine on alterations of brain white matter markers (myelin basic protein, MBP; proteolipid protein, PLP) and morphology caused by chronic ethanol exposure. RESULTS Quetiapine treatment significantly alleviated withdrawal signs in the ethanol exposed rats. Chronic ethanol exposure reduced Y-type electric maze scores and the protein/mRNA expression levels of MBP and PLP in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, and these effects were reversed by quetiapine treatment. Similar ultrastructure morphological changes were observed. CONCLUSIONS Chronic quetiapine treatment alleviated the damage induced by chronic ethanol exposure with regard to learning and memory ability and to brain white matter. Thus, quetiapine appears to be a potentially promising pharmacotherapy for the treatment of alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhong Han
- Henan Key Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China; Department of Basic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
| | - Guodong Wang
- Department of Nursing, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
| | - Meng Liu
- Henan Key Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
| | - Rui Chai
- Henan Key Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
| | - Jiawei Guo
- Henan Key Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
| | - Chengbiao Lu
- Department of Basic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
| | - Yanjie Zhang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
| | - Huiying Wang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China.
| | - Ruiling Zhang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China.
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10
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Guggenmos M, Schmack K, Veer IM, Lett T, Sekutowicz M, Sebold M, Garbusow M, Sommer C, Wittchen HU, Zimmermann US, Smolka MN, Walter H, Heinz A, Sterzer P. A multimodal neuroimaging classifier for alcohol dependence. Sci Rep 2020; 10:298. [PMID: 31941972 PMCID: PMC6962344 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56923-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
With progress in magnetic resonance imaging technology and a broader dissemination of state-of-the-art imaging facilities, the acquisition of multiple neuroimaging modalities is becoming increasingly feasible. One particular hope associated with multimodal neuroimaging is the development of reliable data-driven diagnostic classifiers for psychiatric disorders, yet previous studies have often failed to find a benefit of combining multiple modalities. As a psychiatric disorder with established neurobiological effects at several levels of description, alcohol dependence is particularly well-suited for multimodal classification. To this aim, we developed a multimodal classification scheme and applied it to a rich neuroimaging battery (structural, functional task-based and functional resting-state data) collected in a matched sample of alcohol-dependent patients (N = 119) and controls (N = 97). We found that our classification scheme yielded 79.3% diagnostic accuracy, which outperformed the strongest individual modality – grey-matter density – by 2.7%. We found that this moderate benefit of multimodal classification depended on a number of critical design choices: a procedure to select optimal modality-specific classifiers, a fine-grained ensemble prediction based on cross-modal weight matrices and continuous classifier decision values. We conclude that the combination of multiple neuroimaging modalities is able to moderately improve the accuracy of machine-learning-based diagnostic classification in alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Guggenmos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Katharina Schmack
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilya M Veer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tristram Lett
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Sekutowicz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Miriam Sebold
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Garbusow
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Sommer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hans-Ulrich Wittchen
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilans Universität Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrich S Zimmermann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Sterzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
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11
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Abstract
Alcohol use during adolescence is an important and modifiable health risk behavior given the significant acute consequences and long-term impacts on the developing brain. Alcohol is the most common substance used by young adults 12 to 17 years old, with binge drinking, polysubstance use, and co-occurring mental health disorders posing particular concerns in this age group. Physicians can play a crucial role in screening and responding to alcohol use, with targeted brief interventions designed to delay or decrease use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Bagley
- Boston Medical Center, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd floor, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - Sharon Levy
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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12
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Gano A, Mondello JE, Doremus-Fitzwater TL, Deak T. Rapid alterations in neuroimmune gene expression after acute ethanol: Timecourse, sex differences and sensitivity to cranial surgery. J Neuroimmunol 2019; 337:577083. [PMID: 31675629 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2019.577083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Prior work has established that that an acute ethanol challenge mimicking high intensity alcohol consumption increased IL-6 and suppressed IL-1β and TNFα mRNA in intoxication, with the opposite pattern seen in withdrawal. These experiments utilized Sprague-Dawley rats to further extend these results across time course (from 45 min to 6 h after ethanol), sex, and central versus peripheral expression. Furthermore, these data show that cannulation surgery may selectively modify the central neuroimmune response to ethanol. These findings highlight a unique plasticity of IL-6 that is specific to central structures and responsive to alterations by environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anny Gano
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center (DEARC), Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States of America
| | - Jamie E Mondello
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center (DEARC), Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States of America
| | - Tamara L Doremus-Fitzwater
- Department of Psychology, Williams Hall, Ithaca College, 953 Danby Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, United States of America
| | - Terrence Deak
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center (DEARC), Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States of America.
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13
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Igit T, Colcimen N. Stereological examination of effects of ethanol on optic nerve in experimental alcohol model. Hum Exp Toxicol 2019; 38:610-615. [PMID: 30744420 DOI: 10.1177/0960327119828123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The objective of the present study was to perform histological and stereological examination of alcohol-induced changes in the optic nerve, considered an extension of white matter of the brain, in rats. This study included 20 male Wistar albino rats aged 60 days and weighing 190-220 g. The rats were divided into three groups: ethanol ( n = 7), maltodextrin ( n = 7), and control ( n = 6) groups. The ethanol group was administered ethanol at a dose of 6.4% (v/v) instead of water for 18 days; the maltodextrin group received maltodextrin for the same time period, and the control group was the sham group. At the end of the experiment, a 0.5-mm long section of the optic nerve starting from the optic chiasma was dissected and examined with routine microscopic histological examination methods. The modified Cavalieri method was used for stereological measurement. Total tissue area ratios were calculated with a point grid provided by the Shtereom 1.5 software package. The statistical comparison of the groups revealed that the ethanol group had a significant reduction in the number of axons and sheath area of the optic nerve compared to the control and maltodextrin groups ( p < 0.017, p < 0.022, respectively). These results indicate the toxic effects of ethanol on the optic nerve.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Igit
- Departments of Histology and Embryology, Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey
| | - N Colcimen
- Departments of Histology and Embryology, Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey
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14
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West RK, Wooden JI, Barton EA, Leasure JL. Recurrent binge ethanol is associated with significant loss of dentate gyrus granule neurons in female rats despite concomitant increase in neurogenesis. Neuropharmacology 2019; 148:272-283. [PMID: 30659841 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Binge drinking is becoming increasingly common among American women and girls. We have previously shown significant cell loss, downregulation of neurotrophins and microgliosis in female rats after a single 4-day ethanol exposure. To determine whether recurrent binge exposure would produce similar effects, we administered ethanol (5 g/kg) or iso-caloric control diet once-weekly for 11 weeks to adult female rats. As we have previously shown exercise neuroprotection against binge-induced damage, half the rats were given access to exercise wheels. Blood ethanol concentration (BEC) did not differ between sedentary and exercised groups, nor did it change across time. Using stereology, we quantified the number and/or size of neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG), as well as the number and activation state of microglia. Binged sedentary rats had significant cell loss in the dentate gyrus, but exercise eliminated this effect. Compared to sedentary controls, sedentary binged rats and all exercised rats showed increased neurogenesis in the DG. Number and nuclear volume of neurons in the mPFC were not changed. In the hippocampus and mPFC, the number of microglia with morphology indicative of partial activation was increased by recurrent binge ethanol and decreased by exercise. In summary, we show significant binge-induced loss of DG granule neurons despite increased neurogenesis, suggesting an unsuccessful compensatory response. Although exercise eliminated cell loss, our results indicate that infrequent, but recurrent exposure to clinically relevant BEC is neurotoxic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca K West
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204-5022, United States
| | - Jessica I Wooden
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204-5022, United States
| | - Emily A Barton
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204-5022, United States
| | - J Leigh Leasure
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204-5022, United States; Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204-5022, United States.
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15
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West RK, Maynard ME, Leasure JL. Binge ethanol effects on prefrontal cortex neurons, spatial working memory and task-induced neuronal activation in male and female rats. Physiol Behav 2018; 188:79-85. [PMID: 29407478 PMCID: PMC5845786 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Excessive alcohol intake is associated with a multitude of health risks, especially for women. Recent studies in animal models indicate that the female brain is more negatively affected by alcohol, compared to the male brain. Among other regions, excessive alcohol consumption damages the frontal cortex, an area important for many functions and decision making of daily life. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in female rats is selectively vulnerable to alcohol-induced damage. In humans, loss of prefrontal grey matter resulting from heavy alcohol consumption has been documented, however this volume loss is not necessarily due to a decrease in the number of neurons. We therefore quantified both number and nuclear volume of mPFC neurons following binge alcohol, as well as performance and neuronal activation during a prefrontal-dependent behavioral task. Adult male and female Long-Evans rats were assigned to binge or control groups and exposed to ethanol using a well-established 4-day model of alcohol-induced neurodegeneration. Both males and females had significantly smaller average neuronal nuclei volumes than their respective control groups immediately following alcohol binge, but neither sex showed a decrease in neuron number. Binged rats of both sexes initially showed spatial working memory deficits. Although they eventually achieved control performance, binged rats of both sexes showed increased c-Fos labeling in the mPFC during rewarded alternation, suggesting decreased neural efficiency. Overall, our results substantiate prior evidence indicating that the frontal cortex is vulnerable to alcohol, but also indicate that sex-specific vulnerability to alcohol may be brain region-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca K West
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5022, United States
| | - Mark E Maynard
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5022, United States
| | - J Leigh Leasure
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5022, United States; Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5022, United States.
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16
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Investigation of Sex Differences in the Microglial Response to Binge Ethanol and Exercise. Brain Sci 2017; 7:brainsci7100139. [PMID: 29064447 PMCID: PMC5664066 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7100139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 10/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The female brain appears selectively vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol, but the reasons for this are unclear. One possibility is an exaggerated neuroimmune response in the female brain, such that alcohol increases microglia number and reactivity to subsequent stimuli, such as exercise. It is important to better characterize the interactive neural effects of alcohol and exercise, as exercise is increasingly being used in the treatment of alcohol use disorders. The present study compared the number of microglia and evidence of their activation in alcohol-vulnerable regions of the brain (medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus) in male and female rats following binge alcohol and/or exercise. Binge alcohol increased microglia number and morphological characteristics consistent with their activation in the female brain but not the male, regardless of exercise. Binge alcohol followed by exercise did increase the number of MHC II+ (immunocompetent) microglia in females, although the vast majority of microglia did not express MHC II. These results indicate that binge alcohol exerts sex-specific effects on microglia that may result in enhanced reactivity to a subsequent challenge and in part underlie the apparent selective vulnerability of the female brain to alcohol.
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17
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Abstract
BACKGROUND A number of studies reports reduced hippocampal volume in individuals who engage in problematic alcohol use. However, the magnitude of the difference in hippocampal volume between individuals with v. without problematic alcohol use has varied widely, and there have been null findings. Moreover, the studies comprise diverse alcohol use constructs and samples, including clinically significant alcohol use disorders and subclinical but problematic alcohol use (e.g. binge drinking), adults and adolescents, and males and females. METHODS We conducted the first quantitative synthesis of the published empirical research on associations between problematic alcohol use and hippocampal volume. In total, 23 studies were identified and selected for inclusion in the meta-analysis; effects sizes were aggregated using a random-effects model. RESULTS Problematic alcohol use was associated with significantly smaller hippocampal volume (d = -0.53). Moderator analyses indicated that effects were stronger for clinically significant v. subclinical alcohol use and among adults relative to adolescents; effects did not differ among males and females. CONCLUSIONS Problematic alcohol use is associated with reduced hippocampal volume. The moderate overall effect size suggests the need for larger samples than are typically included in studies of alcohol use and hippocampal volume. Because the existing literature is almost entirely cross-sectional, future research using causally informative study designs is needed to determine whether this association reflects premorbid risk for the development of problematic alcohol use and/or whether alcohol has a neurotoxic effect on the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Wilson
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 E River Rd, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - J. L. Bair
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 E River Rd, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - K. M. Thomas
- Institute of Child Development, 51 E River Rd, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - W. G. Iacono
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 E River Rd, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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18
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Bae S, Kang I, Lee BC, Jeon Y, Cho HB, Yoon S, Lim SM, Kim J, Lyoo IK, Kim JE, Choi IG. Prefrontal Cortical Thickness Deficit in Detoxified Alcohol-dependent Patients. Exp Neurobiol 2016; 25:333-341. [PMID: 28035184 PMCID: PMC5195819 DOI: 10.5607/en.2016.25.6.333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol dependence is a serious disorder that can be related with a number of potential health-related and social consequences. Cortical thickness measurements would provide important information on the cortical structural alterations in patients with alcohol dependence. Twenty-one patients with alcohol dependence and 22 healthy comparison subjects have been recruited and underwent high-resolution brain magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and clinical assessments. T1-weighted MR images were analyzed using the cortical thickness analysis program. Significantly thinner cortical thickness in patients with alcohol dependence than healthy comparison subjects was noted in the left superior frontal cortical region, correcting for multiple comparisons and adjusting with age and hemispheric average cortical thickness. There was a significant association between thickness in the cluster of the left superior frontal cortex and the duration of alcohol use. The prefrontal cortical region may particularly be vulnerable to chronic alcohol exposure. It is also possible that the pre-existing deficit in this region may have rendered individuals more susceptible to alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujin Bae
- Industry Academic Cooperation Foundation, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea
| | - Ilhyang Kang
- Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea.; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
| | - Boung Chul Lee
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul 07247, Korea
| | - Yujin Jeon
- Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
| | - Han Byul Cho
- The Brain Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
| | - Sujung Yoon
- Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea.; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
| | - Soo Mee Lim
- Department of Radiology, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Seoul 03760, Korea
| | - Jungyoon Kim
- Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
| | - In Kyoon Lyoo
- Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea.; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea.; College of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
| | - Jieun E Kim
- Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea.; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
| | - Ihn-Geun Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul 07441, Korea
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19
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Haukvik UK, Hartberg CB, Nerland S, Jørgensen KN, Lange EH, Simonsen C, Nesvåg R, Dale AM, Andreassen OA, Melle I, Agartz I. No progressive brain changes during a 1-year follow-up of patients with first-episode psychosis. Psychol Med 2016; 46:589-598. [PMID: 26526001 DOI: 10.1017/s003329171500210x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND First-episode psychosis (FEP) patients show structural brain abnormalities. Whether the changes are progressive or not remain under debate, and the results from longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies are mixed. We investigated if FEP patients showed a different pattern of regional brain structural change over a 1-year period compared with healthy controls, and if putative changes correlated with clinical characteristics and outcome. METHOD MRIs of 79 FEP patients [SCID-I-verified diagnoses: schizophrenia, psychotic bipolar disorder, or other psychoses, mean age 27.6 (s.d. = 7.7) years, 66% male] and 82 healthy controls [age 29.3 (s.d. = 7.2) years, 66% male] were acquired from the same 1.5 T scanner at baseline and 1-year follow-up as part of the Thematically Organized Psychosis (TOP) study, Oslo, Norway. Scans were automatically processed with the longitudinal stream in FreeSurfer that creates an unbiased within-subject template image. General linear models were used to analyse longitudinal change in a wide range of subcortical volumes and detailed thickness and surface area estimates across the entire cortex, and associations with clinical characteristics. RESULTS FEP patients and controls did not differ significantly in annual percentage change in cortical thickness or area in any cortical region, or in any of the subcortical structures after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Within the FEP group, duration of untreated psychosis, age at illness onset, antipsychotic medication use and remission at follow-up were not related to longitudinal brain change. CONCLUSIONS We found no significant longitudinal brain changes over a 1-year period in FEP patients. Our results do not support early progressive brain changes in psychotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- U K Haukvik
- NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research,Institute of Clinical Medicine,University of Oslo,Oslo,Norway
| | - C B Hartberg
- NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research,Institute of Clinical Medicine,University of Oslo,Oslo,Norway
| | - S Nerland
- NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research,Institute of Clinical Medicine,University of Oslo,Oslo,Norway
| | - K N Jørgensen
- NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research,Institute of Clinical Medicine,University of Oslo,Oslo,Norway
| | - E H Lange
- NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research,Institute of Clinical Medicine,University of Oslo,Oslo,Norway
| | - C Simonsen
- NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research,Institute of Clinical Medicine,University of Oslo,Oslo,Norway
| | - R Nesvåg
- NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research,Institute of Clinical Medicine,University of Oslo,Oslo,Norway
| | - A M Dale
- NORMENT and K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research,Division of Mental Health and Addiction,Oslo University Hospital,Oslo,Norway
| | - O A Andreassen
- NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research,Institute of Clinical Medicine,University of Oslo,Oslo,Norway
| | - I Melle
- NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research,Institute of Clinical Medicine,University of Oslo,Oslo,Norway
| | - I Agartz
- NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research,Institute of Clinical Medicine,University of Oslo,Oslo,Norway
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20
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Erol A, Karpyak VM. Sex and gender-related differences in alcohol use and its consequences: Contemporary knowledge and future research considerations. Drug Alcohol Depend 2015; 156:1-13. [PMID: 26371405 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 533] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Revised: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
AIMS To review the contemporary evidence reflecting male/female differences in alcohol use and its consequences along with the biological (sex-related) and psycho-socio-cultural (gender-related) factors associated with those differences. METHODS MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases were searched for relevant publications, which were subsequently screened for the presence/absence of pre-specified criteria for high quality evidence. RESULTS Compared to men, more women are lifetime abstainers, drink less, and are less likely to engage in problem drinking, develop alcohol-related disorders or alcohol withdrawal symptoms. However, women drinking excessively develop more medical problems. Biological (sex-related) factors, including differences in alcohol pharmacokinetics as well as its effect on brain function and the levels of sex hormones may contribute to some of those differences. In addition, differences in alcohol effects on behavior may also be driven by psycho-socio-cultural (gender-related) factors. This is evident by variation in the magnitude of differences in alcohol use between countries, decreasing difference in the rates of alcohol consumption in recent generations and other findings. Evidence indicates that both sex and gender-related factors are interacting with alcohol use in complex manner, which differentially impacts the risk for development of the behavioral or medical problems and alcohol use disorders in men and women. CONCLUSIONS Discovery of the mechanisms underlying biological (sex-related) as well as psycho-socio-cultural (gender-related) differences in alcohol use and related disorders is needed for development of personalized recommendations for prevention and treatment of alcohol use disorders and related problems in men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almila Erol
- Department of Psychiatry, Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Basinsitesi, Izmir 35250, Turkey; Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, 200 First Stret SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
| | - Victor M Karpyak
- Department of Psychiatry, Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Basinsitesi, Izmir 35250, Turkey.
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Wright MJ, Taffe MA. Chronic periadolescent alcohol consumption produces persistent cognitive deficits in rhesus macaques. Neuropharmacology 2014; 86:78-87. [PMID: 25018042 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Revised: 06/25/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Although human alcoholics exhibit lasting cognitive deficits, it can be difficult to definitively rule out pre-alcohol performance differences. For example, individuals with a family history of alcoholism are at increased risk for alcoholism and are also behaviorally impaired. Animal models of controlled alcohol exposure permit balanced group assignment, thereby ruling out the effects of pre-existing differences. Periadolescent male rhesus macaques (N = 5) consumed alcohol during 200 drinking sessions (M-F) across a 10-month period (mean daily alcohol consumption: 1.38 g/kg/day). A control group (N = 5) consumed a fruit-flavored vehicle during the same period. Spatial working memory, visual discrimination learning and retention and response time behavioral domains were assessed with subtests of the Monkey CANTAB (CAmbridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery). Spatial working memory performance was impaired in the alcohol group after 120 drinking sessions (6 mo) in a manner that depended on retention interval. The chronic alcohol animals were also impaired in retaining a visual discrimination over 24 hrs when assessed 6-8 weeks after cessation of alcohol drinking. Finally, the presentation of distractors in the response time task impaired the response time and accuracy of the chronic alcohol group more than controls after 6 months of alcohol cessation. Chronic alcohol consumption over as little as 6 months produces cognitive deficits, with some domains still affected after acute (6-8 wks) and lasting (6 mo) discontinuation from drinking. Animals were matched on alcohol preference and behavioral performance prior to exposure, thus providing strong evidence for the causal role of chronic alcohol in these deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Jerry Wright
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, SP30-2400, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Michael A Taffe
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, SP30-2400, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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White matter microstructure alterations: a study of alcoholics with and without post-traumatic stress disorder. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80952. [PMID: 24260518 PMCID: PMC3832443 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/13/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Many brain imaging studies have demonstrated reductions in gray and white matter volumes in alcoholism, with fewer investigators using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to examine the integrity of white matter pathways. Among various medical conditions, alcoholism and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are two comorbid diseases that have similar degenerative effects on the white matter integrity. Therefore, understanding and differentiating these effects would be very important in characterizing alcoholism and PTSD. Alcoholics are known to have neurocognitive deficits in decision-making, particularly in decisions related to emotionally-motivated behavior, while individuals with PTSD have deficits in emotional regulation and enhanced fear response. It is widely believed that these types of abnormalities in both alcoholism and PTSD are related to fronto-limbic dysfunction. In addition, previous studies have shown cortico-limbic fiber degradation through fiber tracking in alcoholism. DTI was used to measure white matter fractional anisotropy (FA), which provides information about tissue microstructure, possibly indicating white matter integrity. We quantitatively investigated the microstructure of white matter through whole brain DTI analysis in healthy volunteers (HV) and alcohol dependent subjects without PTSD (ALC) and with PTSD (ALC+PTSD). These data show significant differences in FA between alcoholics and non-alcoholic HVs, with no significant differences in FA between ALC and ALC+PTSD in any white matter structure. We performed a post-hoc region of interest analysis that allowed us to incorporate multiple covariates into the analysis and found similar results. HV had higher FA in several areas implicated in the reward circuit, emotion, and executive functioning, suggesting that there may be microstructural abnormalities in white matter pathways that contribute to neurocognitive and executive functioning deficits observed in alcoholics. Furthermore, our data do not reveal any differences between ALC and ALC+PTSD, suggesting that the effect of alcohol on white matter microstructure may be more significant than any effect caused by PTSD.
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Welch KA, Carson A, Lawrie SM. Brain structure in adolescents and young adults with alcohol problems: systematic review of imaging studies. Alcohol Alcohol 2013; 48:433-44. [PMID: 23632805 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agt037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Alcohol-dependent people who are middle-aged or older have a widespread loss of cortical grey and white matter, particularly in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We examine if brain abnormalities are detectable in alcohol use disorders before the fifth decade (i.e., <40), and the brain structural differences associated with alcohol abuse/dependence in adolescence. METHODS Case-control studies comparing brain structure in alcohol-abusing/-dependent individuals with normal controls in which the mean age of participants was <40 were identified using Medline, EMBASE and PsychInfo. Studies in which mean age was over and under 21 were considered separately. RESULTS Twelve papers fulfilled inclusion criteria, five in the adolescent (14-21) and seven in the young adult age range. Two independent groups reported hippocampal and prefrontal volume reductions in adolescents, although this was consistently observed only in females. In young adults (aged 21-40), there were grey matter deficits in the PFC in both sexes. Adult women appeared to, particularly, exhibit white matter differences, evident as reduced area of the corpus callosum. Hippocampal volume reduction was observed in one study of young adults study but not another. CONCLUSION The available data suggest that quantitative structural abnormalities of the brain are detectable in young alcohol abusers. There is overlap between the abnormalities seen in adolescents and young adults, although hippocampal volume loss is most consistently seen in the former group. The adolescent hippocampus may be particularly susceptible to alcohol, potentially because of an interaction between adolescent brain development and alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Killian A Welch
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, UK.
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Rayner SG, Weinert CR, Peng H, Jepsen S, Broccard AF. Dexmedetomidine as adjunct treatment for severe alcohol withdrawal in the ICU. Ann Intensive Care 2012; 2:12. [PMID: 22620986 PMCID: PMC3464179 DOI: 10.1186/2110-5820-2-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Accepted: 05/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients undergoing alcohol withdrawal in the intensive care unit (ICU) often require escalating doses of benzodiazepines and not uncommonly require intubation and mechanical ventilation for airway protection. This may lead to complications and prolonged ICU stays. Experimental studies and single case reports suggest the α2-agonist dexmedetomidine is effective in managing the autonomic symptoms seen with alcohol withdrawal. We report a retrospective analysis of 20 ICU patients treated with dexmedetomidine for benzodiazepine-refractory alcohol withdrawal. METHODS Records from a 23-bed mixed medical-surgical ICU were abstracted from November 2008 to November 2010 for patients who received dexmedetomidine for alcohol withdrawal. The main analysis compared alcohol withdrawal severity scores and medication doses for 24 h before dexmedetomidine therapy with values during the first 24 h of dexmedetomidine therapy. RESULTS There was a 61.5% reduction in benzodiazepine dosing after initiation of dexmedetomidine (n = 17; p < 0.001) and a 21.1% reduction in alcohol withdrawal severity score (n = 11; p = .015). Patients experienced less tachycardia and systolic hypertension following dexmedetomidine initiation. One patient out of 20 required intubation. A serious adverse effect occurred in one patient, in whom dexmedetomidine was discontinued for two 9-second asystolic pauses noted on telemetry. CONCLUSIONS This observational study suggests that dexmedetomidine therapy for severe alcohol withdrawal is associated with substantially reduced benzodiazepine dosing, a decrease in alcohol withdrawal scoring and blunted hyperadrenergic cardiovascular response to ethanol abstinence. In this series, there was a low rate of mechanical ventilation associated with the above strategy. One of 20 patients suffered two 9-second asystolic pauses, which did not recur after dexmedetomidine discontinuation. Prospective trials are warranted to compare adjunct treatment with dexmedetomidine versus standard benzodiazepine therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel G Rayner
- University of Minnesota Medical School, 1803 E John Street Seattle, Seattle, WA 98112, USA
| | - Craig R Weinert
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine; Fairview-Southdale Hospital, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Helen Peng
- Fairview-Southdale Hospital, 6401 France Ave. S., Edina, MN, 55435, USA
| | - Stacy Jepsen
- Fairview-Southdale Hospital, 6401 France Ave. S., Edina, MN, 55435, USA
| | - Alain F Broccard
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine; Fairview-Southdale HospitalUniversity of Minnesota, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Chen ML, Tsai SH, Ip SP, Ko KM, Che CT. Long-term treatment with a "Yang-invigorating" Chinese herbal formula, Wu-Zi-Yan-Zong-Wan, reduces mortality and liver oxidative damage in chronic alcohol-intoxicated rats. Rejuvenation Res 2010; 13:459-67. [PMID: 20583953 DOI: 10.1089/rej.2009.0985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term alcohol consumption has been reported to increase oxidative stress in multiple organs and accelerate the aging process. A previous study in our laboratory has shown that Wu-Zi-Yan-Zong-Wan (WZ), a "Yang-invigorating" Chinese herbal formula, protected against ethanol-induced toxicity in HepG2 cells transfected to express human CYP2E1, presumably by enhancing mitochondrial antioxidant status and functional ability. The present study aims to investigate whether WZ extract treatment can afford protection against chronic ethanol-induced oxidative stress (a major risk factor of aging) and mortality in rats. The effect of the extract (1.8 g, 4.5 g, and 9 g raw materials/kg per day) on chronic ethanol hepatotoxicity was investigated in rats receiving steady intragastric infusion of ethanol-containing liquid diet. The results showed that long-term (42 days) herbal co-treatment protected against chronic ethanol-induced mortality and hepatotoxicity and in rats, as evidenced by decreased plasma transaminases activities. The extract also suppressed the pathological development of fatty liver, as assessed by histopathological examination and the ratio of liver weight to body weight. The hepatoprotection afforded by the extract was associated with decreases in the extents of reactive oxygen species production, lipid peroxidation, and oxidative modification of proteins, as well as the reversal of altered mitochondrial reduced glutathione level. The results suggest that the suppressive effect of WZ on chronic ethanol-induced oxidative stress and mortality may be attributed to the antioxidant action, particularly in mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Li Chen
- School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
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Choi MH, Lee SJ, Yang JW, Kim JH, Choi JS, Park JY, Jun JH, Tack GR, Lee BY, Kim HJ, Chung SC. Difference between smokers and non-smokers in the corpus callosum volume. Neurosci Lett 2010; 485:71-3. [PMID: 20804817 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.08.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2010] [Revised: 08/10/2010] [Accepted: 08/23/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of smoking on corpus callosum volume. In addition, the relationships between smoking duration, smoking frequency, and corpus callosum volume were analyzed. Magnetic resonance brain images were acquired for 58 normal Korean men (30 smokers (age 32.82±14.12 years) and 28 non-smokers (age 35.49±13.11 years)). The corpus callosum volume was measured using Brain Voyager 2000S/W and was normalized by intracranical volume, which was calculated using cerebral sizes. The corpus callosum volume for smokers was significantly smaller than that for non-smokers. Also, there was a negative correlation between corpus callosum volume and smoking duration. The change of white matter volume (e.g., corpus callosum) might be a primary factor for characterizing the effects of smoking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi-Hyun Choi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Research Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical & Health Science, Konkuk University, 322 Danwall-dong, Chungju, Chungbuk 380-701, South Korea
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Alcohol breaks down interhemispheric inhibition in females but not in males: alcohol and frontal connectivity. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2010; 208:469-74. [PMID: 20020107 PMCID: PMC2806530 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-009-1747-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2009] [Accepted: 11/25/2009] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alcohol has renowned behavioral disinhibitory properties which are suggested to involve reductions in frontal lobe functioning as a result of diminished interhemispheric connectivity. METHODS To examine sex differences in frontal interhemispheric connectivity in response to alcohol, 12 female and ten male healthy volunteers received a single administration of 0.5 per thousand alcohol in a placebo-controlled counterbalanced crossover design. Paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied to measure transcallosal inhibition (TCI) between the left and right primary motor cortex (M1). RESULTS Results showed significant reductions in TCI after alcohol administration in female participants exclusively. DISCUSSION These findings provide the first evidence that moderate doses of alcohol differentially affect frontal interhemispheric connectivity in males and females. The present data may shed new light on the physiological mechanisms underlying sex differences in the susceptibility to alcohol.
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Sasaki H, Abe O, Yamasue H, Fukuda R, Yamada H, Takei K, Suga M, Takao H, Kasai K, Aoki S, Ohtomo K. Structural and diffusional brain abnormality related to relatively low level alcohol consumption. Neuroimage 2009; 46:505-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2008] [Revised: 01/21/2009] [Accepted: 02/03/2009] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
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Brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene variation influences cerebrospinal fluid 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol concentrations in healthy volunteers. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2008; 115:1695-9. [DOI: 10.1007/s00702-008-0113-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2008] [Accepted: 08/15/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Meyerhoff DJ, Bode C, Nixon SJ, de Bruin EA, Bode JC, Seitz HK. Health risks of chronic moderate and heavy alcohol consumption: how much is too much? Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2006; 29:1334-40. [PMID: 16088997 DOI: 10.1097/01.alc.0000171488.63823.09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
This article presents the proceedings of a symposium held at the meeting of the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ISBRA) in Mannheim, Germany, in October 2004. Most of what we know about the deleterious effects of alcohol in vivo has been gleaned from studies in sober alcoholics recruited from substance abuse treatment programs. Little is known about effects of chronic drinking in the moderate or heavy range encountered in a much larger fraction of modern society. Extrapolation of information on the adverse effects of chronic drinking on organ function from clinical samples to social drinkers in the general population has to be met with great skepticism, as it may lead to wrong conclusions about the chronic effects of alcohol in social drinkers. Several recent studies suggest that moderate alcohol consumption has certain beneficial health effects, whereas heavy social alcohol consumption has recently been associated with organ abnormalities and cognitive deficits. These social drinking effects have attracted great public interest; reports of benefits of moderate drinking have also inspired inappropriate publications by the media, including misleading advertisements by the alcohol producing and distributing industry. Although adverse effects of moderate to heavy drinking on heart, liver, and cancer development have attracted attention by clinicians and researchers for some time, its compromising effects on brain and cognition have only recently been studied. This symposium brought together researchers from different disciplines, who reviewed and presented new data on consequences of social drinking in the areas of clinical neuropsychology and behavior (Drs. Nixon and Meyerhoff), neurophysiology (Dr. Nixon, Ms. De Bruin), neuroimaging (Ms. de Bruin, Dr. Meyerhoff), hepatic disease (Dr. Bode), and cancer (Dr. Seitz). The symposium aimed to clarify both the potential health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption and risks of moderate and heavy drinking on proper organ function and to provide insights and new data to practicing physicians and public health authorities for education on problem drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter J Meyerhoff
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, 94121, USA.
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Lee E. Gender Differences in Alcohol Dependence. JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 2006. [DOI: 10.5124/jkma.2006.49.2.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eun Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital, Korea.
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Abstract
The authors reviewed MEDLINE and references of major articles in the published literature over the last 30 years regarding the complications of alcohol abuse and discuss the critical care aspects of alcohol abuse. This article discusses the severe medical conditions associated with alcohol abuse that lead to admission to the medical intensive care unit. The clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, diagnostic studies, and management of these conditions are discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim Al-Sanouri
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, and Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
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