title: Reduced hypothermic and hypnotic responses to ethanol in PACAP-deficient mice.
abstract: Using pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP)-deficient mice, we investigated whether PACAP is involved in the intoxicating effects of ethanol. The structure of PACAP is highly conserved during evolution, and in Drosophila, loss-of-function mutations in a PACAP-like neuropeptide gene, amnesiac, result in impairment of memory retention and increased sensitivity to ethanol. In mice, PACAP deficiency is associated with impaired memory performance and hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), however, sensitivity to ethanol has not been well investigated. Here, we addressed this issue in our recently developed PACAP-deficient mice. Sleep time (duration of the loss of righting reflex) was markedly shortened in PACAP-deficient mice compared with wild-type, although latency to the loss of righting reflex was not different between the two groups. Ethanol-induced hypothermia in wild-type control mice was significantly reduced in PACAP-deficient mice. Blood ethanol levels were not different between the two groups, excluding the possibility of increased ethanol metabolism. Thus, in contrast to that in Drosophila, PACAP deficiency in mammals caused a reduced sensitivity to ethanol. However, in both cases, PACAP or amnesiac products are likely to play significant roles in modifying the intoxicating effects of ethanol.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Norihito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shintani
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Akemichi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baba
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000633:toxicity; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: C495402:Adcyap1 protein, mouse; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009479:Neuropeptides; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D000431:Ethanol