title: Rasgrf2 controls noradrenergic involvement in the acute and subchronic effects of alcohol in the brain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcohol addiction is a major psychiatric disease, and yet, the underlying molecular adaptations in the brain remain unclear. Recent evidence suggests a functional role for the ras-specific guanine-nucleotide releasing factor 2 (Rasgrf2) in alcoholism. Rasgrf2(-/-) mice consume less alcohol and show entirely absent dopamine responses to an alcohol challenge compared to wild types (WT).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In order to further investigate how Rasgrf2 modifies the acute and subchronic effects of alcohol in the brain, we investigated its effects on the noradrenergic and serotonergic systems.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured noradrenaline and serotonin activity in the brain by in vivo microdialysis and RNA expression by chip analysis and RT-PCR after acute and sub-chronic alcohol exposure in Rasgrf2(-/-) and WT mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In vivo microdialysis showed a significantly reduced noradrenergic response and an absent serotonergic response in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and caudate putamen (CPu) after an alcohol challenge in Rasgrf2(-/-) mice. A co-expression analysis showed that there is a high correlation between Rasgrf2 and α2 adrenoceptor RNA expression in the ventral striatum in naïve animals. Accordingly, we further assessed the role of Rasgrf2 in the response of the noradrenergic system to subchronic alcohol exposure. A decrease in β1 adrenoceptor gene expression was seen in Rasgrf2(+/+), but not Rasgrf2(-/-) mice following alcohol exposure. Conversely, alcohol resulted in a decrease in both β2 and α2 adrenoceptor gene expression in knockout but not WT Rasgrf2 mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that adaptations in the noradrenergic system contribute to the Rasgrf2 enhanced risk of alcoholism.
authors.affiliation: MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Alanna C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Easton
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rotter
authors.forename: Anbarasu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lourdusamy
authors.forename: Sylvane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Desrivières
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Medarde
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Biermann
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kornhuber
authors.forename: Gunter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schumann
authors.forename: Christian P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D017551:Microdialysis; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D020663:ras Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C504491:Rasgrf2 protein, mouse; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2; D020663:ras Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; D012701:Serotonin; D000431:Ethanol; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine
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