title: Catalase-independent early-gene expression in rat brain following acute ethanol exposure.
abstract: Early-gene expression evoked by acute ethanol treatment was studied in rat brain by quantitative immunocytochemistry, with reference to ethanol metabolism by the enzyme catalase. Colocalization with mu-opioid receptor (MOR) sites was also examined. Ethanol challenges [1, 2.5, and 4 g/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.)] evoked dose-dependent increases in c-Fos expression in several brain regions, but overlap with MOR-rich sites was only partial. Strong inhibition of brain catalase activity (ca. 60%) with 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (AT, 1 g/kg i.p.) did not alter ethanol-induced c-Fos nor Krox-24 expression in any of the brain regions analyzed. This evidence demonstrates that catalase-mediated metabolism is not a requisite for c-Fos nor Krox-24 induction in rat brain following acute ethanol treatment, and suggests that ethanol is by itself capable of eliciting strong neuronal and circuit-level adaptations in the nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Unit, Cavanilles Institute, University of Valencia, Poligono de la Coma s/n, Burjassot, 46980 Valencia, Spain. juan.canales@uv.es
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Canales
mesh_terms: D000640:Amitrole / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D000431:Ethanol; D002374:Catalase; D000640:Amitrole