Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

L Lumeng

Publications and source records attributed to L Lumeng.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Quantitative immunocytochemical evaluation of serotonergic innervation in alcoholic rat brain.

Neurotoxicity can be divided into three levels: depletion, degeneration and denervation. The first level is determined by the transmitter content, and the second and third levels, which require anatomical evaluation, can be analyzed by quantitative immunocytochemistry on a specific neurotransmitter system. An antibody specific to serotonin (5-HT) can reveal detailed normal as well as degenerative morphology of 5-HT neurons. Quantitative alterations of 5-HT fibers in a particular brain region indicate degenerative or plastic changes. This study demonstrates quantitative immunocytochemistry by using image analysis of immunostained 5-HT fibers in selectively-bred, alcohol-preferring and nonpreferring rats, which are known to have divergent drinking behaviors, and 5-HT contents in specific brain regions. The method of the image analysis is described in detail and the advantages and disadvantages of using this method to detect the degeneration of a particular fiber system are discussed. The 'area density' traditionally measured in image analysis was converted (with Zhou-Tam formula) into 'volume density' to correct the mismeasurement of fibers through the optical depth. Quantitative immunostaining shows that the difference in 5-HT fiber density in particular brain regions between the two rat lines is consistent with changes in content of the 5-HT/5-HIAA and hypersensitivity of 5-HT1 a receptor. This result indicates either (a) the 5-HT content is too low to be detected in the nerve terminals; (b) degeneration of 5-HT fibers occurs in P rats sometime during development; or (c) a smaller number of 5-HT fibers was preprogrammed in the brain regions of P than NP rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alcohol Drinking↗

Association between low contents of dopamine and serotonin in the nucleus accumbens and high alcohol preference.

The contents of dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), serotonin (5-HT), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were determined in the nucleus accumbens (ACB), frontal cortex (FR), anterior striatum (AST), and hippocampus (HIP) of adult male rats from the F2 generation of P x NP intercrosses. Rats were tested for their alcohol preference and were divided into two groups, depending on their alcohol intake. Rats in the high drinking group (n = 11) had ethanol intakes > 5g/kg/day, whereas the low drinking group (n = 15) had values < 1 g/kg/day. The content of DA in the ACB was lower (p < 0.001) in the high alcohol drinking group (46 +/- 2 pmol/mg tissue) than in the low intake rats (61 +/- 3 pmol/mg tissue). However, the contents of DOPAC and HVA in the ACB were similar for both groups. There were no differences between the two groups in the contents of DA in the FR or AST. The content of 5-HT in the ACB was lower (p < 0.05) in high alcohol drinking rats (6.3 +/- 0.3 pmol/mg tissue) than in the low intake group (7.0 +/- 0.2 pmol/mg tissue). The content of 5-HIAA in the ACB of the high intake rats was also lower than the level for the low drinking rats. There were no differences in the contents of 5-HT or 5-HIAA in the FR, HIP, and AST between the two groups. The results confirm a phenotypic association between abnormal DA and 5-HT systems projecting to the ACB and high alcohol drinking behavior in the P line of rats.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Structural analysis of peptide-acetaldehyde adducts by mass spectrometry and production of antibodies directed against nonreduced protein-acetaldehyde adducts.

Acetaldehyde can form protein-acetaldehyde adducts (AAs) in vivo and may play a role in the genesis of alcoholic liver disease. The nature of the chemical modification of proteins by acetaldehyde in vivo has not been elucidated. In vitro, acetaldehyde can form reversible adducts including a Schiff's base with lysine (K) and imidazolidinone with terminal amino groups of proteins such as human hemoglobin (Hb). In this study, we used FAB/MS to analyze the products of peptide-AAs (pep-AAs) formed by incubating acetaldehyde with Hb peptides. We then used an octabranched multiple antigen peptide (MAP) system containing Hb peptide-AAs to raise antibodies. Three Hb peptides [i.e., 8-pep consisting of 8 residues (V1HLTPVEK8) at the N-terminus of beta-chain of human sickle-cell Hb, 11-pep-gly consisting of 11 residues (G56NPKVKAHGKK66) in a segment of beta-chain rich in lysine, and 11-pep-pro that consists of the same sequence as 11-pep-gly, except G56 was replaced by proline (P)] were incubated with 1 mM acetaldehyde at 4 degrees C for 7d without NaCNBH3 (nonreduced conditions). Analysis by FAB/MS showed that 8-pep formed an imidazolidinone at the N-terminal valine, 11-pep-gly formed a Schiff's base and imidazolidinone at the N-terminus, whereas 11-pep-pro that lacks a free alpha-amino group formed only a Schiff's base at K59. By contrast, incubation of these Hb peptides with 250 mM acetaldehyde and NaCNBH3 at 37 degrees C for 1 hr (reduced conditions) produced mono- and diethylated modifications of all available K residues, as well as the N-terminal amino group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acetaldehyde↗

Rat mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase polymorphism and major histocompatibility complex RT1.A phenotypes are not associated with alcohol drinking in P and NP rats.

Previous studies revealed polymorphisms in mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) and the major histocompatibility complex RT1.A that appeared in association with alcohol drinking preference in the alcohol-preferring (P) and alcohol-nonpreferring (NP) rat lines. To determine the strength of these associations, the P and NP lines were crossed, and cosegregation studies were performed in the F2 progeny. The ALDH2Q allele and the ALDH2R allele, found in the P and NP lines, respectively, were found not to be associated with the high and low drinking animals in the F2 progeny. Kinetic studies with ALDH2Q and ALDH2R isozymes purified from the mitochondria of P and NP rat livers, respectively, showed that the polymorphism would not be expected to be associated with altered aldehyde metabolism. The association between RT1.A and alcohol preference (RT1.Auu with high and RT1.AII with low alcohol intake) also could not be confirmed in the segregating F2 progeny of the P x NP intercross.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Serum low density lipoprotein of alcoholic patients is chemically modified in vivo and induces apolipoprotein E synthesis by macrophages.

This work was carried out to investigate the effect of alcohol drinking on serum LDL. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed that LDL samples from alcoholic patients without serious liver disease were more negatively charged and moved faster toward the cathode than LDL from nondrinking control subjects. Rabbit antibodies raised by using keyhole limpet hemocyanin modified in vitro by 4-hydroxynonenal or by acetaldehyde as immunogens reacted more strongly with patients' LDL than with control LDL, indicating the presence of oxidatively modified epitopes and acetaldehyde adducts in alcoholic patients' LDL. LDL of alcoholic patients has decreased vitamin E contents. The electromobility of LDL decreased after abstinence from alcohol and returned to normal in 2 wk, but this was not accompanied by a significant increase in its vitamin E contents. When incubated with mouse peritoneal macrophages, patients' LDL induced apolipoprotein E secretion by threefold over control LDL with a concomitant increase in cellular cholesterol. Our results thus demonstrate that LDL of alcoholic patients has lower vitamin E content, is chemically modified in vivo, and exhibits altered biological function. These changes in heavy alcoholic drinkers may render LDL more atherogenic and thereby may counter the antiatherosclerosis effects of moderate alcohol consumption.

Adult↗

The benzodiazepine inverse agonist RO19-4603 exerts prolonged and selective suppression of ethanol intake in alcohol-preferring (P) rats.

The time course of the benzodiazepine (BDZ) inverse agonist RO19-4603 in antagonizing ethanol (EtOH) intake was investigated in alcohol-preferring (P) rats (n = 7) maintained on 24-h continuous free-choice access to EtOH (10% v/v), water, and food. After fluid intakes had stabilized over several weeks, animals were injected with Tween-80 vehicle solution or RO19-4603 (0.075, 0.150, and 0.30 mg/kg). EtOH and water intakes were determined at 8- and 24-h intervals. RO19-4603 caused a marked attenuation of EtOH drinking with each of the doses tested. EtOH intake during the 8-h following 0.075, 0.150, and 0.30 mg/kg RO19-4603 was decreased by approximately 36, 74, and 57%, respectively. Intakes during the 24-h interval were similar to the vehicle control condition. However, 32 h post-drug administration, EtOH intakes were reduced to approximately 27, 31, and 29% following the 0.075, 0.150 and 0.30 mg/kg doses, respectively. To further confirm the reliability of the RO19-4603 dose-response effect, and its selectivity for EtOH, the highest dose condition (0.30 mg/kg) was tested twice. The second 0.30 mg/kg dose condition exerted a profile of effects similar to the initial treatment; 8 h following administration, intake was decreased to 60% of the control level, and 32 h post-drug administration intake was decreased to approximately 46% of the controls. These decreases were evidently selective in comparison with water, since water drinking showed compensatory increases which paralleled the decreased EtOH consumption. Dose-response comparisons indicated that 0.150 mg/kg approaches the maximum effective dose, since the 0.30 mg/kg dose of RO19-4603 did not produce an additional decrease in EtOH intake.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alcohol Deterrents↗

Genetic aspects and risk factors in alcoholism and alcoholic liver disease.

There is a great deal of evidence for genetic predisposition to alcoholism; considerably less is known regarding predisposition to alcoholic liver disease. The specific genes involved in either disorder are not well understood, although the enzymes of alcohol metabolism appear to play some role. It will be interesting to determine whether genetic factors that alter the expression of these enzymes, in addition to altering the kinetics of the enzymes, could modify responses to drinking. Work in the next few years will include determination of which responses to alcohol are indeed genetically influenced in twin studies, testing additional candidate genes for alcohol-related traits in populations and families, as well as the application of genomic mapping methodologies to alcoholic pedigrees. The latter strategy will be integrated into the larger number of studies that will grow from the Human Genome Project. Animal studies with selectively bred lines of rodents that differ in voluntary alcohol consumption will lead the way to define the neuronal and behavioral substrates responsible for differences in alcohol-drinking behavior. The use of the quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping approach in F2 intercross between two inbred strains of rodents with opposite alcohol-response characteristics and in recombinant inbred strains derived from F2 intercross already has and will continue to help identify chromosomal locations of genes relevant to voluntary alcohol consumption. Perhaps in the future selective breeding of rodents and QTL mapping strategies can also be used to determine the biology and genetics of alcohol-induced liver injury.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Regional serotonin1A receptors in the CNS of alcohol-preferring and -nonpreferring rats.

The densities of serotonin1A (5-HT1A) receptors, labeled with [3H]8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), were examined in the CNS of alcohol-naive adult male alcohol-preferring (P) and -nonpreferring (NP) rats using quantitative autoradiography. The densities of sites labeled with 2 nM [3H]8-OH-DPAT were a) 20-30% higher in the medial prefrontal, frontal (layers 1, 2, and layers 3-6), parietal (layers 3-6), and cingulate cortex; b) 35-40% higher in the retrosplenial, occipital (all layers), temporal (all layers) cortex; and c) 15% higher in the entorhinal cortex of the P compared with the NP rat. Within the hippocampus, significant differences between the rat lines were observed only in the posterior portion where the densities of [3H]8-OH-DPAT labeled sites were a) 10-15% higher in the dorsal dentate gyrus, dorsal CA1, and dorsal CA3 regions; and b) 15-25% higher in the anterior ventral hippocampal area and ventral dentate gyrus of the P relative to the NP line. In contrast to the above results, the densities of [3H]8-OH-DPAT labeled sites were 15-20% lower in the dorsal, paradorsal, and median raphe nuclei of the P compared with the NP rat. No differences in [3H]8-OH-DPAT binding between the rat lines were found in several basal ganglia, limbic, and brain stem regions. The data indicate that there are greater numbers of postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors in certain parts of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the P compared with the NP rat.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

Effects of MK 801 and diazepam on the EEG of P and NP rats.

The selectively bred alcohol-preferring (P) and alcohol-nonpreferring (NP) rats have been shown to possess a number of behavioral and electrophysiological differences in response to alcohol. We sought to evaluate whether or not P and NP rats would respond differently to other sedative-hypnotic drugs related to ethanol. EEG recordings were conducted following systemic administration of the NMDA receptor antagonist MK 801 (0.1 mg/kg, ip) and the GABA/benzodiazepine receptor complex agonist diazepam (1.5 mg/kg, ip). Nine P and nine NP rats was implanted with bipolar stainless steel electrodes in the frontal cortex, the dorsal hippocampus, the ventral thalamus, and the anterior amygdala. In the vehicle condition, P rats showed significantly greater power of the EEG in the slow frequencies as compared with NP rats in the frontal cortex. Furthermore, P rats were found to have lower peak theta frequency (6-8 Hz) than NP rats in the frontal cortex, the dorsal hippocampus, and the ventral thalamus. MK 801 produced a significantly greater increase in the mean power of the EEG in NP rats in the 8-16 Hz than in P rats, whereas diazepam was found to decrease theta peak frequency (6-8 Hz), but more so in NP rats that in P rats. These data suggest that, in addition to differential responsiveness to alcohol, P and NP rats also differ in response to drugs that modify GABA and glutamate neurotransmission.

Alcoholism↗

Consumption of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter solutions by selectively bred alcohol-preferring and alcohol-nonpreferring lines of rats.

To determine whether selective breeding for high or low oral ethanol consumption is associated with different preferences for nonpharmacological solutions with various flavors, the oral intake of a range of concentrations of sucrose (0.5-64.0 g/100 ml), NaCl (0.025-3.2 g/100 ml), citric acid (0.008-2.048 g/liter), and sucrose octaacetate (0.002-0.512 g/liter) was studied in alcohol-preferring (P) and alcohol-nonpreferring (NP) rats. Separate groups of 7-8 rats from each line were tested for consumption of each of the four flavors. The flavored solutions were presented continuously with water and food always available, and the concentrations were doubled every 48 hr. Although rats from both lines showed a strong preference for the sucrose solutions, P rats consumed greater amounts than NP rats [F(7,98) = 5.57, p < 0.001]. Rats of the P line drank less of the NaCl solutions than NP rats [F(7,98) = 3.88, p < 0.001], but the effect was not as robust as the line differences seen with sucrose. The P and NP rats did not differ in citric acid or sucrose octaacetate intake at any of the concentrations tested. Selective breeding for high oral ethanol preference appears to be positively associated with consumption of sweet solutions and negatively associated with intake of salty solutions.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Reduced serotonergic immunoreactive fibers in the forebrain of alcohol-preferring rats.

Our previous study indicated that 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) immunoreactive fiber densities were decreased in specific areas of the brain in alcohol-preferring rats (P) when compared with alcohol-nonpreferring rats (NP). The results of our current study show that there are quantitative and qualitative differences in 5-HT innervation in other selected regions of the forebrains of P rats. The 5-HT fiber density in the brains of young adult P and NP rats was measured by immunocytochemistry and quantitative image analysis. A routine error of two-dimensional quantitation of nerve fiber was addressed and an adjustment was made. The amount of 5-HT fibers was significantly lower in CA4 and fasciola cinereum of the dorsal hippocampus, caudate-putamen, and hypothalamus of the P as compared with NP rats (unpaired Student's t tests). In examining the fiber types, we found that, in the frontal cortical and hippocampal regions, where normally fine 5-HT fibers with small varicosities and thick 5-HT fibers with large varicosities coexist, fewer fine 5-HT fibers were seen in P rats as compared with NP rats. The fine fibers are known to be vulnerable to abusive drugs. These observations indicate that (a) there are quantitative differences in 5-HT innervation or that the 5-HT in some 5-HT fibers is reduced to a level undetectable by immunocytochemistry, and (b) the fine 5-HT fibers are specifically reduced to a greater degree in the selected brain regions of P rats when compared with that of NP rats. The involvement of the 5-HT system in the alcohol abuse is discussed.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Daidzin, an antioxidant isoflavonoid, decreases blood alcohol levels and shortens sleep time induced by ethanol intoxication.

The extract from an edible vine, Pueraria lebata, has been reported to be efficacious in lessening alcohol intoxication. In this study, we have tested the efficacy of one of the major components, daidzin, from this plant extract. When ethanol (40% solution, 3 g/kg body weight) was given to fasted rats intragastrically, blood alcohol concentration (BAC) peaked at 30 min after alcohol ingestion and reached 1.77 +/- 0.14 mg/ml (mean values +/- SD, n = 6). If daidzin (30 mg/kg) was mixed with the ethanol solution and given to animals intragastrically, BAC was found to peak at 90 min after alcohol ingestion and reached only 1.20 +/- 0.30 mg/ml (n = 6) (p < 0.05 vs. controls). The ability of daidzin to delay and decrease peak BAC level after ethanol ingestion was also observed in fed animals. In both fasted and fed rats given alcohol without daidzin, BAC quickly declined after reaching its peak at 30 min. By contrast, BAC levels receded more slowly if daidzin was also fed to the animals. Daidzin showed a chronic effect. Rats fed daidzin for 7 days before ethanol challenge, but not on the day of challenge, also produced lower and later peak BAC levels. Interestingly, daidzin, whether fed to rats only once or chronically for 7 days, did not significantly alter activities of either alcohol dehydrogenase or mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase in the liver. Further experiments demonstrated that daidzin shortened sleep time for rats receiving ethanol intragastrically (7 g/kg) but not intraperitoneally (2 g/kg). To test whether daidzin delayed stomach-emptying, [14C]polyethylene glycol was mixed with ethanol and fed to rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

Genetic and neurobiological basis of alcohol-seeking behavior.

Through selective breeding, rat lines exhibiting high and low alcohol drinking preference have been developed as useful animal models for studying the neurobiological basis of alcohol-seeking behavior. The identified differences between lines in neurotransmitter functioning allows the evaluation of receptor agonist/antagonist compounds that might be efficacious in the treatment of alcohol craving and dependence.

Alcoholism↗

Intrasplenic transplantation of isolated periportal and perivenous hepatocytes as a long-term system for study of liver-specific gene expression.

Many hepatocyte-specific genes are expressed heterogeneously in the liver lobule depending on the location of the hepatocytes in relation to the inflow or outflow of portal blood (i.e., periportal or perivenous). For example, albumin is expressed in all hepatocytes but more so in the periportal zone, cytochrome P-450IIE1 is exclusively expressed in the perivenous zone and glutamine synthetase is limited to one or two cell layers next to the terminal hepatic venule. Additionally, hepatic damage caused by several xenobiotics, including carbon tetrachloride, is more severe in the perivenous zone. We have isolated highly enriched perivenous and periportal hepatocytes by means of a digitonin-collagenase perfusion method and transplanted them separately into the spleens of syngeneic rats. After transplantation, hepatocyte-specific gene expression in the transplanted perivenous and periportal cells was monitored for up to 13 mo with in situ hybridization to detect the specific gene transcripts (mRNAs). We also studied the effects of carbon tetrachloride administration on transplanted periportal cells by comparing them with intrasplenic transplanted periportal hepatocytes without carbon tetrachloride treatment. Our results showed that: (a) both transplanted perivenous and periportal hepatocytes could survive and proliferate in the splenic microenvironment for a prolonged period; (b) long-term-transplanted periportal hepatocytes in spleen could eventually express a high level of cytochrome P-450IIE1 mRNA in all transplanted hepatocytes and could express glutamine synthetase mRNA in only about 5% to 10% of them, specifically those hepatocytes located adjacent to splenic blood vessels. It is noteworthy that periportal hepatocytes in situ normally do not express the glutamine synthetase gene and express only a low level of cytochrome P-450IIE1 mRNA; and (c) carbon tetrachloride yielded different toxic effects on transplanted periportal hepatocytes at day 3 and mo 8. Necrosis was seen only when transplanted periportal hepatocytes expressed a high level of cytochrome P-450IIE1 mRNA by mo 8.

Albumins↗

Zonal distribution of protein-acetaldehyde adducts in the liver of rats fed alcohol for long periods.

Acetaldehyde, a highly reactive intermediate of alcohol metabolism, has been shown to form adducts with liver proteins in rats fed alcohol for long periods. In this report, the zonal distribution of liver protein-acetaldehyde adducts that formed in vivo was studied by means of histoimmunostaining. Rats were pair-fed alcohol-containing and alcohol-free AIN'76 liquid diets for 2 or 11 wk before they were killed and subjected to whole body perfusion with paraformaldehyde. Each liver was cut into 60-microns-thick slices. Slices were first treated with 10% hydrogen peroxide to eliminate endogenous peroxidase activity. They were then incubated sequentially with rabbit antihemocyanin-acetaldehyde adduct, goat antirabbit serum IgG and rabbit peroxidase-antiperoxidase complex. The liver slices were stained with diaminobenzidine and counterstained with methylgreen. In the livers of rats fed alcohol for 2 wk, peroxidase activity was evident in the perivenous zone but not the periportal zone. No staining was obtained when the primary antibody had been preabsorbed with immobilized hemocyanin-acetaldehyde adduct or if the liver slices were incubated with the unimmunized rabbit IgG. Slight staining of the perivenous zone was seen in the livers of control rats, presumably because of minimal protein-acetaldehyde adduct formation emanating from endogenous acetaldehyde. When rats were fed alcohol for longer periods (e.g., 11 wk), protein-acetaldehyde adducts were still seen predominantly in the perivenous zone, but the distribution pattern was more diffuse than that observed in the livers of rats fed alcohol for only 2 wk. More liver cells produced protein-acetaldehyde adducts when rats were fed the alcohol-containing diet supplemented with cyanamide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acetaldehyde↗

Selective breeding for alcohol preference and associated responses.

Selective breeding for high and low alcohol-drinking preference has produced rat lines useful for studying the nature of excessive alcohol-seeking behavior. Compared with the alcohol-nonpreferring line, the preferring animals exhibit heightened responsivity to the low-dose activating effects of ethanol as well as enhanced capacity for developing tolerance to the aversive, behaviorally impairing effects of ethanol. The preferring animals exhibit lower brain serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitter activity as well as differences in other neurotransmitter neuromodulator systems, compared with the alcohol-nonpreferring animals.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Effects of oral ethanol self-administration on the EEG of alcohol preferring and -nonpreferring rats.

EEG measures have been shown to differ in human subjects who are at genetically increased risk for the development of alcoholism. In the present study, EEG was recorded in rats that were selectively bred for alcohol-preferring (P) and nonpreferring (NP) behaviors during an ethanol self-administration paradigm. In this paradigm, rats initially learned to press a lever for a 0.2% saccharin solution. Ethanol was then added to the saccharin solution in increasing concentrations while saccharin was faded progressively. EEG recordings were analyzed under three different conditions: baseline, 0.2% saccharin and 10% ethanol. Statistical analyses were carried out within each group of rats for three 10-min intervals in each condition. NP rats showed increases in EEG power in the 6-32 Hz frequency ranges 20-30 min following ethanol availability. In contrast, no significant EEG effects were found for P rats in the 10% ethanol condition with respect to time. EEG power in the three time periods (0-10, 10-20, 20-30 min) was also compared between conditions (baseline, saccharin, 10% ethanol). For NP rats, a significant increase in EEG power during the 20-30 min time interval was found in the 10% ethanol session for the 16-32 Hz frequency range as compared to baseline and saccharin. In P rats, a significant increase in the power of the EEG was found during the first 10 min in the 10% ethanol session in the 8-16 Hz frequency range as compared to baseline and saccharin. The two rat lines also differed in their behavioral responses to the self-administration paradigm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alcohol Drinking↗