title: Effect of retinoic acid and ethanol on retinoic acid receptor beta and glial fibrillary acidic protein mRNA expression in human astrocytoma cells.
abstract: This work explores the hypothesis that perturbations caused by ethanol on the regulatory role of retinoids in brain development may be a mechanism involved in the neuropathology of fetal alcohol syndrome. The interaction of ethanol and retinoic acid (RA) on RA receptor (RAR) beta and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA expression is evaluated. In the U-373 MG astrocytoma, mRNA expression of RAR beta was increased and GFAP was decreased by RA. Ethanol decreased the expression of RAR beta mRNA, but increased that of GFAP. The RA-stimulated increase in RAR beta was not affected by the presence of ethanol. RA prevented the ethanol-induced increase in GFAP mRNA. Cycloheximide abolished only the GFAP response to ethanol. This work shows that an interrelationship between ethanol and RA exists in the astrocyte.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Meriter Perinatal Center, 202 South Park Street, Madison, WI 53715, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Grummer
authors.forename: Z N
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Salih
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Zachman
mesh_terms: D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; C082925:retinoic acid receptor beta; D000431:Ethanol; D014212:Tretinoin; D003513:Cycloheximide