Alcohol addiction is a major social and health concern. Here, Researchers from Rush University Medical Center used LC Sciences’ miRNA microarray profiling service to determine the expression profile of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of rats treated with alcohol. The results suggest that multiple miRNAs were aberrantly expressed in rat NAc after alcohol injection. Among them, miR-382 was down-regulated in alcohol-treated rats. In both cultured neuronal cells in vitro and in the NAc in vivo, they identified that the dopamine receptor D1 (Drd1) is a direct target gene of miR-382. Via this target gene, miR-382 strongly modulated the expression of DeltaFosB. Moreover, overexpression of miR-382 significantly attenuated alcohol-induced up-regulation of DRD1 and DeltaFosB, decreased voluntary intake of and preference for alcohol and inhibited the DRD1-induced action potential responses. The results indicated that miRNAs are involved in and may represent novel therapeutic targets for alcoholism.

 

Overexpression of miR-382 is sufficient to inhibit the voluntary intake of and the preference for alcohol in rats

 

LC Sciences

 

A. The voluntary intake of alcohol was reduced via Ad-miR-382 at all points (7 days: p = 0.00039; 9 days: p = 0.00046; 11 days: p = 0.00057; 13 days: p = 0.00026; 17 days: p = 0.00018; 19 days: p = 0.00098; 21 days: p = 0.013; 23 days: p = 0.0035).

B . Ad-miR-382 decreased the preference for alcohol at all points (7 days: p = 0.0037; 9 days: p = 0.0041; 11 days: p = 0.0029; 13 days: p = 0.0015; 17 days: p = 0.0088; 19 days: p = 0.0068; 21 days: p = 0.018; 23 days: p = 0.0029).

C. Ad-miR-382 did not alter the water consumption.

D. Ad-miR-382 did not alter the total fluid intake. Values are mean ± SEM from 8 independent experiments (n = 8), compared with that in Ad-GFP control. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 ***and p < 0.001, two-way ANOVA with repeated measure.

 

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miRNA Microarray Service – LC Sciences provides a microRNA (miRNA) expression profiling service using microarrays based on our in-house developed µParaflo® technology platform. We have standard arrays for all mature miRNAs of all species available in the latest version of the miRBase database (Release 21, July 2014). Our service is comprehensive and includes sample labeling, array hybridization, image data processing and in-depth data analysis. Two-three weeks after receiving your total RNA samples, we’ll send you both the raw and fully analyzed data. [Learn more…]

Reference

Li J, Li J, Liu X, Qin S, Guan Y, Liu Y, Cheng Y, Chen X, Li W, Wang S. (2013) MicroRNA expression profile and functional analysis reveal that miR-382 is a critical novel gene of alcohol addiction. EMBO Molecular Medicine 5(9):1402-14. [article]