Changes in methylation pattern of NMDA receptor NR2B gene in cortical neurons after chronic ethanol treatment in mice

Brain Res Mol Brain Res. 2004 Feb 5;121(1-2):19-27. doi: 10.1016/j.molbrainres.2003.10.025.

Abstract

Chronic ethanol treatment produced an increase in the rate of NR2B gene expression in adult cortex and cultured fetal cortical neurons. To determine the possible molecular mechanism involved in the upregulation of NR2B gene expression, we studied methylation in CpG island in mouse fetal cortical neurons. Our results demonstrate that chronic ethanol administration causes demethylation of cytosine residues in CpG island in cortical neurons which may be responsible for the changes in the expression of NR2B gene.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Azacitidine / pharmacology
  • Blotting, Southern / methods
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Central Nervous System Depressants / pharmacology*
  • Cerebral Cortex / cytology*
  • CpG Islands / drug effects
  • DNA Methylation / drug effects*
  • Embryo, Mammalian
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Ethanol / pharmacology*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression / drug effects
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neurons / drug effects*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Pregnancy
  • RNA / isolation & purification
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / genetics*

Substances

  • Central Nervous System Depressants
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • NR2B NMDA receptor
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
  • Ethanol
  • RNA
  • Azacitidine