title: Identification of gene expression profile in the rat brain resulting from acute alcohol intoxication.
abstract: This study aimed to identify gene expression profile in the rat brain resulting from acute alcohol intoxication (AAI). Eighteen SD rats were divided into the alcohol-treated group (n = 9) and saline control group (n = 9). Periorbital blood samples were taken to determine their blood alcohol content by gas chromatography. Tissue sections were analyzed by H and E staining and biochemical assays. Real-time reverse transcription PCR was used to validate microarray data. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS18.0 software (Version 18.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). H and E staining demonstrated that alcohol-treated rats showed no obvious pathological changes in nerve cells compared with those in the control group. Biochemical tests revealed that alcohol-treated rats had lower superoxide dismutase activity than those in the control group (167.3 ± 10.3 U/mg vs. 189.2 ± 5.9 U/mg, P < 0.05). Furthermore, the malondialdehyde levels in alcohol-treated rats were higher than those in the control group (3.48 ± 0.24 mmol/mg vs. 2.51 ± 0.23 mmol/mg, P < 0.05). Microarray data presented 366 up-regulated genes and 300 down-regulated genes in the AAI rat brain. Gene ontology analysis identified 31 genes up-regulated and 39 down-regulated among all differentially expressed genes. Twenty-four pathways showed significant differences, including 12 pathways involved with up-regulated genes and 12 pathways involved with down-regulated genes. Selected genes showed significantly different expression in both alcohol-treated and control groups (P < 0.05). Gene expression analysis enabled clustering of alcohol intoxication-related genes by function. These genes expression may be potential targets for treatment or drug screening for acute alcohol intoxication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, No. 88 Health Road, Weihui, 453100, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ling-Yu
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Guang-Peng
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jin-He
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Xue-Liang
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei-Zhen
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration