Adolescent, but Not Adult, Binge Ethanol Exposure Leads to Persistent Global Reductions of Choline Acetyltransferase Expressing Neurons in Brain
Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: During the adolescent transition from childhood to adulthood, notable maturational changes occur in brain neurotransmitter systems. The cholinergic system is composed of several distinct nuclei that exert neuromodulatory control over cognition, arousal, and reward. Binge drinking and alcohol abuse are common during this stage, which might alter the developmental trajectory of this system leading to long-term changes in adult neurobiology. In Experiment 1, adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE; 5.0 g/kg, i.g., 2-day on/2-day off from postnatal day [P] 25 to P55) treatment led to persistent, global reductions of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) expression. Administration of the Toll-like receptor 4 agonist lipopolysaccharide to young adult rats (P70) produced a reduction in ChAT+IR that mimicked AIE. To determine if the binge ethanol-induced ChAT decline was unique to the adolescent, Experiment 2 examined ChAT+IR in the basal forebrain following adolescent (P28-P48) and adult (P70-P90) binge ethanol exposure. Twenty-five days later, ChAT expression was reduced in adolescent, but not adult, binge ethanol-exposed animals. In Experiment 3, expression of ChAT and vesicular acetylcholine transporter expression was found to be significantly reduced in the alcoholic basal forebrain relative to moderate drinking controls. Together, these data suggest that adolescent binge ethanol decreases adult ChAT expression, possibly through neuroimmune mechanisms, which might impact adult cognition, arousal, or reward sensitivity.
Source: PLoS ONE
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,382
Awards: MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR PATHOGENESIS IN ALCOHOLISM, G1405628917, UNC-CH NADIA Scientific Core, G1631041286, G165006055, 5/8 NADIA U01 Effects of Adolescent Alcohol on adult brain Neurocircuitry, G3112896361, G3338828332, G395338477, G4925295698, 2/8 NADIA U01 Adolescent Alcohol Exposure: Neural Contributors to Sex- and Exposure Timing-Specific Anxiety, Adult neurobiology following adolescent drinking, G6509403699, G6982471701, 1/1 NADIA U24 Administrative Core, 2/2 Mechanisms of alcohol pathology: A collaborative partnership between NCCU & UNC, G8439781573, G9000102076, G9000148061, G9000278734, Molecular and Circuit Pathogenesis of Alcohol Use Disorders, Brain Tissue Resource Center for Alcohol Research, Molecular and Cellular Alcohol Research Training
OpenAlex ID: W2068431065