Homocysteine, Alcoholism, and Its Potential Epigenetic Mechanism.
Alcohol is the most socially accepted addictive drug. Alcohol consumption is associated with some health problems such as neurological, cognitive, behavioral deficits, cancer, heart, and liver disease. Mechanisms of alcohol-induced toxicity are presently not yet clear. One of the mechanisms underlying alcohol toxicity has to do with its interaction with amino acid homocysteine (Hcy), which has been linked with brain neurotoxicity. Elevated Hcy impairs with various physiological mechanisms in the body, especially metabolic pathways. Hcy metabolism is predominantly controlled by epigenetic regulation such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and acetylation. An alteration in these processes leads to epigenetic modification. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the role of Hcy metabolism abnormalities in alcohol-induced toxicity with epigenetic adaptation and their influences on cerebrovascular pathology.
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.|Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Pradip K
PK
Kamat
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
Carissa J
CJ
Mallonee
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
Akash K
AK
George
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
Suresh C
SC
Tyagi
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
Neetu
N
Tyagi
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism*; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008959:Models, Neurological
D006710:Homocysteine; D000431:Ethanol
Cerebrovascular Pathology; Cystathionine-β-Synthase; Cystathionine-γ-Lyase; DNA Methylation; Vascular Dementia