The current study used two inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6 J and A/J, to investigate the genetics of behavioral responses to fentanyl. Mice were tested for conditioned place preference and fentanyl-induced locomotor activity. C57BL/6J mice formed a conditioned place preference to fentanyl injections and fentanyl increased their activity. Neither effect was noted in A/J mice. We conducted RNA-sequencing on the nucleus accumbens of mice used for fentanyl-induced locomotor activity. Surprisingly, we noted few differentially expressed genes using treatment as the main factor. However many genes differed between strains.
Authors:
Samuel J Harp, Mariangela Martini, Will Rosenow, Larry D Mesner, Hugh Johnson, Charles R Farber, Emilie F Rissman
The current study used two inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6 J and A/J, to investigate the genetics of behavioral responses to fentanyl. Mice were tested for conditioned place preference and fentanyl-induced locomotor activity. C57BL/6J mice formed a conditioned place preference to fentanyl injections and fentanyl increased their activity. Neither effect was noted in A/J mice. We conducted RNA-sequencing on the nucleus accumbens of mice used for fentanyl-induced locomotor activity. Surprisingly, we noted few differentially expressed genes using treatment as the main factor. However many genes differed between strains.
Authors:
Samuel J Harp, Mariangela Martini, Will Rosenow, Larry D Mesner, Hugh Johnson, Charles R Farber, Emilie F Rissman
The current study used two inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6 J and A/J, to investigate the genetics of behavioral responses to fentanyl. Mice were tested for conditioned place preference and fentanyl-induced locomotor activity. C57BL/6J mice formed a conditioned place preference to fentanyl injections and fentanyl increased their activity. Neither effect was noted in A/J mice. We conducted RNA-sequencing on the nucleus accumbens of mice used for fentanyl-induced locomotor activity. Surprisingly, we noted few differentially expressed genes using treatment as the main factor. However many genes differed between strains.
Authors:
Samuel J Harp, Mariangela Martini, Will Rosenow, Larry D Mesner, Hugh Johnson, Charles R Farber, Emilie F Rissman
Alcohol hypothalamus gene expression in females logFC
Description:
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic, relapsing syndrome diagnosed by a heteroge- neous set of behavioral signs and symptoms. There are no laboratory tests that provide direct objective evidence for diagnosis. Microarray and RNA-Seq technologies enable genome-wide transcriptome profiling at low costs and provide an opportunity to identify bio- markers to facilitate diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of patients. However, access to brain tissue in living patients is not possible. Blood contains cellular and extracellular RNAs that provide disease-relevant information for some brain diseases. We hypothesized that blood gene expression profiles can be used to diagnose AUD. We profiled brain (prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hypothalamus) and blood gene expression levels in C57BL/6J mice using RNA-seq one week after chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure, a mouse model of alcohol dependence. We found a high degree of preservation (rho range: [0.50, 0.67]) between blood and brain transcript levels. There was small overlap between blood and brain DEGs, and considerable overlap of gene networks perturbed after CIE related to cell- cell signaling (e.g., GABA and glutamate receptor signaling), immune responses (e.g., anti- gen presentation), and protein processing / mitochondrial functioning (e.g., ubiquitination, oxidative phosphorylation). Blood gene expression data were used to train classifiers (logis- tic regression, random forest, and partial least squares discriminant analysis), which were highly accurate at predicting alcohol dependence status (maximum AUC: 90.1%). These results suggest that gene expression profiles from peripheral blood samples contain a bio- logical signature of alcohol dependence that can discriminate between CIE and Air subjects.
Authors:
Laura B Ferguson, Amanda J Roberts, R Dayne Mayfield, Robert O Messing
Alcohol hypothalamus gene expression in males logFC
Description:
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic, relapsing syndrome diagnosed by a heteroge- neous set of behavioral signs and symptoms. There are no laboratory tests that provide direct objective evidence for diagnosis. Microarray and RNA-Seq technologies enable genome-wide transcriptome profiling at low costs and provide an opportunity to identify bio- markers to facilitate diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of patients. However, access to brain tissue in living patients is not possible. Blood contains cellular and extracellular RNAs that provide disease-relevant information for some brain diseases. We hypothesized that blood gene expression profiles can be used to diagnose AUD. We profiled brain (prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hypothalamus) and blood gene expression levels in C57BL/6J mice using RNA-seq one week after chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure, a mouse model of alcohol dependence. We found a high degree of preservation (rho range: [0.50, 0.67]) between blood and brain transcript levels. There was small overlap between blood and brain DEGs, and considerable overlap of gene networks perturbed after CIE related to cell- cell signaling (e.g., GABA and glutamate receptor signaling), immune responses (e.g., anti- gen presentation), and protein processing / mitochondrial functioning (e.g., ubiquitination, oxidative phosphorylation). Blood gene expression data were used to train classifiers (logis- tic regression, random forest, and partial least squares discriminant analysis), which were highly accurate at predicting alcohol dependence status (maximum AUC: 90.1%). These results suggest that gene expression profiles from peripheral blood samples contain a bio- logical signature of alcohol dependence that can discriminate between CIE and Air subjects.
Authors:
Laura B Ferguson, Amanda J Roberts, R Dayne Mayfield, Robert O Messing
Alcohol hypothalamus gene expression in males q-value
Description:
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic, relapsing syndrome diagnosed by a heteroge- neous set of behavioral signs and symptoms. There are no laboratory tests that provide direct objective evidence for diagnosis. Microarray and RNA-Seq technologies enable genome-wide transcriptome profiling at low costs and provide an opportunity to identify bio- markers to facilitate diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of patients. However, access to brain tissue in living patients is not possible. Blood contains cellular and extracellular RNAs that provide disease-relevant information for some brain diseases. We hypothesized that blood gene expression profiles can be used to diagnose AUD. We profiled brain (prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hypothalamus) and blood gene expression levels in C57BL/6J mice using RNA-seq one week after chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure, a mouse model of alcohol dependence. We found a high degree of preservation (rho range: [0.50, 0.67]) between blood and brain transcript levels. There was small overlap between blood and brain DEGs, and considerable overlap of gene networks perturbed after CIE related to cell- cell signaling (e.g., GABA and glutamate receptor signaling), immune responses (e.g., anti- gen presentation), and protein processing / mitochondrial functioning (e.g., ubiquitination, oxidative phosphorylation). Blood gene expression data were used to train classifiers (logis- tic regression, random forest, and partial least squares discriminant analysis), which were highly accurate at predicting alcohol dependence status (maximum AUC: 90.1%). These results suggest that gene expression profiles from peripheral blood samples contain a bio- logical signature of alcohol dependence that can discriminate between CIE and Air subjects.
Authors:
Laura B Ferguson, Amanda J Roberts, R Dayne Mayfield, Robert O Messing
DEG female mouse forebrain 3-tri morphine vs saline_pvalue
Description:
To examine forebrain transcriptomic changes that might elucidate mechanisms of withdrawal, delayed development, and any long-term behavior changes, we generated transcriptomic signatures following our “3-trimester” exposure model (3-Tri). In addition, we also examined transcriptomes from animals that received opioids only during the gestational period (PND1) or only during the last trimester from PND 1–14 (PND 14). We sought to determine whether transcriptomic signatures vary based on the window of exposure, perhaps contributing to the discrepancies in the literature regarding acute and long-term outcomes. Brains were dissected from PND 1 pups 6 h after discovery. Brains were dissected from post-natal exposure only (PND 14) or 3-trimester exposure (3-tri) 6 h after the last morphine or saline injection. The number of animals per group was similar (N = 5–7 animals, male and female C57Bl/6NTac mice), and the quality controls, library construction and sequence parameters were also identical across all groups. Libraries were sequenced on a NovaSeq 6000 at a depth of 30 million total reads/sample using paired-end sequencing of 150 base pairs (PE150), to a depth of 30 million total reads/sample. Reads were then mapped to the mouse reference genome (Mus Musculus, GRCm38/mm10) using HISAT2 (version 2.2.1), and duplicated fragments were removed using Picard MarkDuplicates. Differential expression analysis between two conditions (e.g., Morphine and Saline) was performed in R (version 4.1.1) with DESeq2 (v1.32.0) package. Genes were assigned by the authors as differentially expressed if the (adjusted) (nominal) p-value < 0.05. All genes/scores are presented here.
Authors:
Amelia D Dunn, Shivon A Robinson, Chiso Nwokafor, Molly Estill, Julia Ferrante, Li Shen, Crystal O Lemchi, Jordi Creus-Muncunill, Angie Ramirez, Juliet Mengaziol, Julia K Brynildsen, Mark Leggas, Jamie Horn, Michelle E Ehrlich, Julie A Blendy
DEG male mouse forebrain PND14 morphine vs saline_pvalue
Description:
To examine forebrain transcriptomic changes that might elucidate mechanisms of withdrawal, delayed development, and any long-term behavior changes, we generated transcriptomic signatures following our “3-trimester” exposure model (3-Tri). In addition, we also examined transcriptomes from animals that received opioids only during the gestational period (PND1) or only during the last trimester from PND 1–14 (PND 14). We sought to determine whether transcriptomic signatures vary based on the window of exposure, perhaps contributing to the discrepancies in the literature regarding acute and long-term outcomes. Brains were dissected from PND 1 pups 6 h after discovery. Brains were dissected from post-natal exposure only (PND 14) or 3-trimester exposure (3-tri) 6 h after the last morphine or saline injection. The number of animals per group was similar (N = 5–7 animals, male and female C57Bl/6NTac mice), and the quality controls, library construction and sequence parameters were also identical across all groups. Libraries were sequenced on a NovaSeq 6000 at a depth of 30 million total reads/sample using paired-end sequencing of 150 base pairs (PE150), to a depth of 30 million total reads/sample. Reads were then mapped to the mouse reference genome (Mus Musculus, GRCm38/mm10) using HISAT2 (version 2.2.1), and duplicated fragments were removed using Picard MarkDuplicates. Differential expression analysis between two conditions (e.g., Morphine and Saline) was performed in R (version 4.1.1) with DESeq2 (v1.32.0) package. Genes were assigned by the authors as differentially expressed if the (adjusted) (nominal) p-value < 0.05. All genes/scores are presented here.
Authors:
Amelia D Dunn, Shivon A Robinson, Chiso Nwokafor, Molly Estill, Julia Ferrante, Li Shen, Crystal O Lemchi, Jordi Creus-Muncunill, Angie Ramirez, Juliet Mengaziol, Julia K Brynildsen, Mark Leggas, Jamie Horn, Michelle E Ehrlich, Julie A Blendy
The current study used two inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6 J and A/J, to investigate the genetics of behavioral responses to fentanyl. Mice were tested for conditioned place preference and fentanyl-induced locomotor activity. C57BL/6J mice formed a conditioned place preference to fentanyl injections and fentanyl increased their activity. Neither effect was noted in A/J mice. We conducted RNA-sequencing on the nucleus accumbens of mice used for fentanyl-induced locomotor activity. Surprisingly, we noted few differentially expressed genes using treatment as the main factor. However many genes differed between strains.
Authors:
Samuel J Harp, Mariangela Martini, Will Rosenow, Larry D Mesner, Hugh Johnson, Charles R Farber, Emilie F Rissman
Differential gene expression in brainstems of neonatal mice associated with repeated morphine exposure_logFC
Description:
Neonatal outbred Swiss Webster Cartworth Farms White (CFW) mice were administered morphine (15 mg/kg, s.c.) twice daily from postnatal day 1 (P1) to P14, an approximation of the third trimester of human gestation. Female and male mice underwent behavioral testing on P7 and P14 to determine the impact of opioid exposure on anxiety and pain sensitivity. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and daily body weights were also recorded. Brainstems containing pons and medulla were collected during morphine withdrawal on P14 for RNA sequencing. Morphine induced weight loss from P2 to P14, which persisted during adolescence (P21) and adulthood (P50). USVs markedly increased at P7 in females, emerging earlier than males. On P7 and P14, both morphine-exposed female and male mice displayed hyperalgesia on the hot plate and tail-flick assays, with females showing greater hyperalgesia than males. Morphine-exposed mice exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior in the open-field arena on P21. Transcriptome analysis of the brainstem, an area implicated in opioid withdrawal and NOWS, identified pathways enriched for noradrenergic signaling in females and males. We also found sex-specific pathways related to mitochondrial function and neurodevelopment in females and circadian entrainment in males.
Genes identified as expressed lower (down) in the AJ strain than in the AJ strain. Differentially expressed genes had a Q-value < 0.05 following the Benjamini-Hochberg methodology for false discovery rates in the limma+voom pipeline within edgeR. Q-value is reported from the topTable function.
Genes identified as expressed lower (down) in the AJ strain than in the AJ strain. Differentially expressed genes had a Q-value < 0.05 following the Benjamini-Hochberg methodology for false discovery rates in the limma+voom pipeline within edgeR. Q-value is reported from the topTable function.
Differential gene expression in brainstems of neonatal female mice associated with repeated morphine exposure_logFC
Description:
Neonatal outbred Swiss Webster Cartworth Farms White (CFW) mice were administered morphine (15 mg/kg, s.c.) twice daily from postnatal day 1 (P1) to P14, an approximation of the third trimester of human gestation. Female and male mice underwent behavioral testing on P7 and P14 to determine the impact of opioid exposure on anxiety and pain sensitivity. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and daily body weights were also recorded. Brainstems containing pons and medulla were collected during morphine withdrawal on P14 for RNA sequencing. Morphine induced weight loss from P2 to P14, which persisted during adolescence (P21) and adulthood (P50). USVs markedly increased at P7 in females, emerging earlier than males. On P7 and P14, both morphine-exposed female and male mice displayed hyperalgesia on the hot plate and tail-flick assays, with females showing greater hyperalgesia than males. Morphine-exposed mice exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior in the open-field arena on P21. Transcriptome analysis of the brainstem, an area implicated in opioid withdrawal and NOWS, identified pathways enriched for noradrenergic signaling in females and males. We also found sex-specific pathways related to mitochondrial function and neurodevelopment in females and circadian entrainment in males.
Differential gene expression in brainstems of neonatal male mice associated with repeated morphine exposure_logFC
Description:
Neonatal outbred Swiss Webster Cartworth Farms White (CFW) mice were administered morphine (15 mg/kg, s.c.) twice daily from postnatal day 1 (P1) to P14, an approximation of the third trimester of human gestation. Female and male mice underwent behavioral testing on P7 and P14 to determine the impact of opioid exposure on anxiety and pain sensitivity. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and daily body weights were also recorded. Brainstems containing pons and medulla were collected during morphine withdrawal on P14 for RNA sequencing. Morphine induced weight loss from P2 to P14, which persisted during adolescence (P21) and adulthood (P50). USVs markedly increased at P7 in females, emerging earlier than males. On P7 and P14, both morphine-exposed female and male mice displayed hyperalgesia on the hot plate and tail-flick assays, with females showing greater hyperalgesia than males. Morphine-exposed mice exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior in the open-field arena on P21. Transcriptome analysis of the brainstem, an area implicated in opioid withdrawal and NOWS, identified pathways enriched for noradrenergic signaling in females and males. We also found sex-specific pathways related to mitochondrial function and neurodevelopment in females and circadian entrainment in males.
Genes identified as expressed higher (up) in the AJ strain than in the S129 strain. Differentially expressed genes had a Q-value < 0.05 following the Benjamini-Hochberg methodology for false discovery rates in the limma+voom pipeline within edgeR. Q-value is reported from the topTable function.
Genes identified as expressed lower (down) in the AJ strain than in the CAST strain. Differentially expressed genes had a Q-value < 0.05 following the Benjamini-Hochberg methodology for false discovery rates in the limma+voom pipeline within edgeR. Q-value is reported from the topTable function.
Genes identified as expressed higher (up) in the AJ strain than in the NOD strain. Differentially expressed genes had a Q-value < 0.05 following the Benjamini-Hochberg methodology for false discovery rates in the limma+voom pipeline within edgeR. Q-value is reported from the topTable function.
Genes identified as expressed higher (up) in the AJ strain than in the NOD strain. Differentially expressed genes had a Q-value < 0.05 following the Benjamini-Hochberg methodology for false discovery rates in the limma+voom pipeline within edgeR. Q-value is reported from the topTable function.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear hormone receptors that act as ligand-activated transcription factors. Although prescribed for dyslipidemia and type-II diabetes, PPAR agonists also possess anti-addictive characteristics. PPAR agonists decrease ethanol consumption and reduce withdrawal severity and susceptibility to stress-induced relapse in rodents. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms facilitating these properties have yet to be investigated. We tested three PPAR agonists in a continuous access two-bottle choice (2BC) drinking paradigm and found that tesaglitazar (PPARα/γ; 1.5 mg/kg) and fenofibrate (PPARα; 150 mg/kg) decreased ethanol consumption in male C57BL/6J mice while bezafibrate (PPARα/γ/β; 75 mg/kg) did not. We hypothesized that changes in brain gene expression following fenofibrate and tesaglitazar treatment lead to reduced ethanol drinking. We studied unbiased genomic profiles in areas of the brain known to be important for ethanol dependence, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala, and also profiled gene expression in liver. Genomic profiles from the non-effective bezafibrate treatment were used to filter out genes not associated with ethanol consumption. Because PPAR agonists are anti-inflammatory, they would be expected to target microglia and astrocytes. Surprisingly, PPAR agonists produced a strong neuronal signature in mouse brain, and fenofibrate and tesaglitazar (but not bezafibrate) targeted a subset of GABAergic interneurons in the amygdala. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed co-expression of treatment-significant genes. Functional annotation of these gene networks suggested that PPAR agonists might act via neuropeptide and dopaminergic signaling pathways in the amygdala. Our results reveal gene targets through which PPAR agonists can affect alcohol consumption behavior.
Authors:
Laura B Ferguson, Dana Most, Yuri A Blednov, R Adron Harris
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear hormone receptors that act as ligand-activated transcription factors. Although prescribed for dyslipidemia and type-II diabetes, PPAR agonists also possess anti-addictive characteristics. PPAR agonists decrease ethanol consumption and reduce withdrawal severity and susceptibility to stress-induced relapse in rodents. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms facilitating these properties have yet to be investigated. We tested three PPAR agonists in a continuous access two-bottle choice (2BC) drinking paradigm and found that tesaglitazar (PPARα/γ; 1.5 mg/kg) and fenofibrate (PPARα; 150 mg/kg) decreased ethanol consumption in male C57BL/6J mice while bezafibrate (PPARα/γ/β; 75 mg/kg) did not. We hypothesized that changes in brain gene expression following fenofibrate and tesaglitazar treatment lead to reduced ethanol drinking. We studied unbiased genomic profiles in areas of the brain known to be important for ethanol dependence, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala, and also profiled gene expression in liver. Genomic profiles from the non-effective bezafibrate treatment were used to filter out genes not associated with ethanol consumption. Because PPAR agonists are anti-inflammatory, they would be expected to target microglia and astrocytes. Surprisingly, PPAR agonists produced a strong neuronal signature in mouse brain, and fenofibrate and tesaglitazar (but not bezafibrate) targeted a subset of GABAergic interneurons in the amygdala. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed co-expression of treatment-significant genes. Functional annotation of these gene networks suggested that PPAR agonists might act via neuropeptide and dopaminergic signaling pathways in the amygdala. Our results reveal gene targets through which PPAR agonists can affect alcohol consumption behavior.
Authors:
Laura B Ferguson, Dana Most, Yuri A Blednov, R Adron Harris
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear hormone receptors that act as ligand-activated transcription factors. Although prescribed for dyslipidemia and type-II diabetes, PPAR agonists also possess anti-addictive characteristics. PPAR agonists decrease ethanol consumption and reduce withdrawal severity and susceptibility to stress-induced relapse in rodents. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms facilitating these properties have yet to be investigated. We tested three PPAR agonists in a continuous access two-bottle choice (2BC) drinking paradigm and found that tesaglitazar (PPARα/γ; 1.5 mg/kg) and fenofibrate (PPARα; 150 mg/kg) decreased ethanol consumption in male C57BL/6J mice while bezafibrate (PPARα/γ/β; 75 mg/kg) did not. We hypothesized that changes in brain gene expression following fenofibrate and tesaglitazar treatment lead to reduced ethanol drinking. We studied unbiased genomic profiles in areas of the brain known to be important for ethanol dependence, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala, and also profiled gene expression in liver. Genomic profiles from the non-effective bezafibrate treatment were used to filter out genes not associated with ethanol consumption. Because PPAR agonists are anti-inflammatory, they would be expected to target microglia and astrocytes. Surprisingly, PPAR agonists produced a strong neuronal signature in mouse brain, and fenofibrate and tesaglitazar (but not bezafibrate) targeted a subset of GABAergic interneurons in the amygdala. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed co-expression of treatment-significant genes. Functional annotation of these gene networks suggested that PPAR agonists might act via neuropeptide and dopaminergic signaling pathways in the amygdala. Our results reveal gene targets through which PPAR agonists can affect alcohol consumption behavior.
Authors:
Laura B Ferguson, Dana Most, Yuri A Blednov, R Adron Harris
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear hormone receptors that act as ligand-activated transcription factors. Although prescribed for dyslipidemia and type-II diabetes, PPAR agonists also possess anti-addictive characteristics. PPAR agonists decrease ethanol consumption and reduce withdrawal severity and susceptibility to stress-induced relapse in rodents. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms facilitating these properties have yet to be investigated. We tested three PPAR agonists in a continuous access two-bottle choice (2BC) drinking paradigm and found that tesaglitazar (PPARα/γ; 1.5 mg/kg) and fenofibrate (PPARα; 150 mg/kg) decreased ethanol consumption in male C57BL/6J mice while bezafibrate (PPARα/γ/β; 75 mg/kg) did not. We hypothesized that changes in brain gene expression following fenofibrate and tesaglitazar treatment lead to reduced ethanol drinking. We studied unbiased genomic profiles in areas of the brain known to be important for ethanol dependence, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala, and also profiled gene expression in liver. Genomic profiles from the non-effective bezafibrate treatment were used to filter out genes not associated with ethanol consumption. Because PPAR agonists are anti-inflammatory, they would be expected to target microglia and astrocytes. Surprisingly, PPAR agonists produced a strong neuronal signature in mouse brain, and fenofibrate and tesaglitazar (but not bezafibrate) targeted a subset of GABAergic interneurons in the amygdala. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed co-expression of treatment-significant genes. Functional annotation of these gene networks suggested that PPAR agonists might act via neuropeptide and dopaminergic signaling pathways in the amygdala. Our results reveal gene targets through which PPAR agonists can affect alcohol consumption behavior.
Authors:
Laura B Ferguson, Dana Most, Yuri A Blednov, R Adron Harris
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear hormone receptors that act as ligand-activated transcription factors. Although prescribed for dyslipidemia and type-II diabetes, PPAR agonists also possess anti-addictive characteristics. PPAR agonists decrease ethanol consumption and reduce withdrawal severity and susceptibility to stress-induced relapse in rodents. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms facilitating these properties have yet to be investigated. We tested three PPAR agonists in a continuous access two-bottle choice (2BC) drinking paradigm and found that tesaglitazar (PPARα/γ; 1.5 mg/kg) and fenofibrate (PPARα; 150 mg/kg) decreased ethanol consumption in male C57BL/6J mice while bezafibrate (PPARα/γ/β; 75 mg/kg) did not. We hypothesized that changes in brain gene expression following fenofibrate and tesaglitazar treatment lead to reduced ethanol drinking. We studied unbiased genomic profiles in areas of the brain known to be important for ethanol dependence, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala, and also profiled gene expression in liver. Genomic profiles from the non-effective bezafibrate treatment were used to filter out genes not associated with ethanol consumption. Because PPAR agonists are anti-inflammatory, they would be expected to target microglia and astrocytes. Surprisingly, PPAR agonists produced a strong neuronal signature in mouse brain, and fenofibrate and tesaglitazar (but not bezafibrate) targeted a subset of GABAergic interneurons in the amygdala. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed co-expression of treatment-significant genes. Functional annotation of these gene networks suggested that PPAR agonists might act via neuropeptide and dopaminergic signaling pathways in the amygdala. Our results reveal gene targets through which PPAR agonists can affect alcohol consumption behavior.
Authors:
Laura B Ferguson, Dana Most, Yuri A Blednov, R Adron Harris
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