title: Chronic alcohol consumption from adolescence-to-adulthood in mice--hypothalamic gene expression changes in the dilated cardiomyopathy signaling pathway.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adolescence is a developmental stage vulnerable to alcohol drinking-related problems and the onset of alcoholism. Hypothalamus is a key brain region for food and water intake regulation, and is one of the alcohol-sensitive brain regions. However, it is not known what would be the alcohol effect on hypothalamus following adolescent alcohol intake, chronically over the adolescent development, at moderate levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We employed a paradigm of chronic moderate alcohol intake from adolescence-to-adulthood in mice, and analyzed the alcohol effect on both behavioral and hypothalamic gene expression changes. A total of 751 genes were found and subjected to pathway analysis. The dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) pathway was identified. The changes of ten genes under this pathway were further verified using RT-PCR. Chronic alcohol consumption during adolescence, even at moderate levels, led to a decrease of motor activity in mice, and also a concerted down regulation of signaling pathway initiating factor (SPIF) genes in the DCM signaling pathway, including β1-adrenergic receptor (Adrb1), Gs protein (Gnas), adenylyl cyclase 1 (Adcy1), and dihydropyridine receptor/L-type calcium channel (Cacna1d).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that adolescent alcohol intake may trigger gene expression changes in the CNS that parallel those found in the dilated cardiomyopathy signaling pathway. If such effects also take place in humans, our findings would serve as a warning against alcohol intake in youth, such as by teens and/or college students.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Huaiguang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Qinglian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Meilei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. gpzhao@sibs.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Guoping
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Huasheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins