Chronic ethanol increases proopiomelanocortin gene expression in the rat hypothalamus.
The effect of chronic ethanol exposure on proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA accumulation, beta-endorphin (beta-EP) levels as well as incorporation of [3H]-phenylalanine into beta-EP-related peptides was investigated in the rat hypothalamus. Animals were treated with an ethanol-containing liquid diet for 15 days. Both sucrose pair-fed and ad libitum-fed control groups were included. The levels of immunoreactive beta-EP, as well as the relative proportions of nonacetyl and acetyl forms of beta-EP in the hypothalami of the ethanol-treated rats were not significantly different from those in the sucrose and lab chow fed control rats. Northern blot analysis of total hypothalamic RNA indicated that ethanol-treated rats had higher POMC mRNA levels than sucrose pair-fed and control rats. Quantitation of the in vitro incorporation of [3H]-phenylalanine into POMC, beta-lipotropin and beta-EP by the hypothalamus, using immunoprecipitation and polyacrylamide disc-gel electrophoresis with sodium dodecyl sulfate, revealed that the increased hypothalamic POMC mRNA content was associated with increased incorporation of [3H]-phenylalanine into POMC by the hypothalami of the ethanol-treated rats. It is concluded that chronic ethanol can alter the expression of the POMC gene in the hypothalamus.
Angelogianni
P
P
Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Verdun, Canada.
Gianoulakis
C
C
D000818:Animals; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D014316:Tritium; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008083:beta-Lipotropin / Q000378:metabolism*
D014316:Tritium; D000431:Ethanol; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D008083:beta-Lipotropin