Acute ethanol administration decreases GAP-43 and phosphorylated-GAP-43 in the rat hippocampus.
Acute alcohol ingestion is well known to have deleterious effects on memory and also known to inhibit long-term potentiation, a putative cellular substrate of memory. In this study, we for the first time revealed that growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43), which is well known as a presynaptic substrate of protein kinase C and one of the major synaptic plasticity-related genes, was down regulated by single ethanol administration (2.5 g/kg, 15% in saline, i.p.) in the rat hippocampus. Using real-time PCR, we confirmed that GAP-43 mRNA level is significantly decreased 2 h after ethanol administration. GAP-43 and p-GAP-43 (Ser41) immunoreactivities in the hippocampus were also reduced 4 h after ethanol administration. Immunohistochemical study showed that the reduction of GAP-43 and p-GAP-43 expression was associated with the perforant and mossy fibers pathways. These results suggest that the reduction of GAP-43 in the hippocampus might be, at least in part, a cause of memory impairment after acute ethanol ingestion.
Kim
Hyun Joon
HJ
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Institute of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, 92 Chilam-dong, Jinju, Kyungnam 660-751, Korea.
Choi
Kyung Mi
KM
Ku
Bo Mi
BM
Mun
Jihye
J
Joo
Yeon
Y
Han
Jae Yoon
JY
Kim
Young Hee
YH
Roh
Gu Seob
GS
Kang
Sang Soo
SS
Cho
Gyeong Jae
GJ
Choi
Wan Sung
WS
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D019922:GAP-43 Protein; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000431:Ethanol; D011493:Protein Kinase C