Investigation of 5-HT3A receptor gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of individuals who had been exposed to air pollution.

The role of air pollution in exacerbation of allergic symptoms is well known. Several studies have shown the effect of air pollution on serotonergic system. The changes in serotonergic system could trigger several allergic symptoms. 5-HT(3A) is among serotonin receptors on the peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) as well as other cells. In the present study we compared the 5-HT(3A) gene expression in PBMCs of the asthmatic patients as well as individuals who had been exposed to the air pollution. Normal individuals were also included in the study as control for comparison of 5-HT(3A) gene expression. Following the synthesis of the cDNA using mRNA extracted from PBMCs the level of 5- HT(3A) gene expression was measured using real-time PCR. The results showed t a significant increase in the relative expression level of 5-HT(3A) receptor in PBMCs from asthmatic patients and individuals exposed to the air pollutants compared to normal controls. Our result indicates that significant increase in 5-HT(3A) receptor may contribute to the pathogenesis as well as allergic symptoms which resulted from air pollution.

Ethanol-induced Htr3a promoter methylation changes in mouse blood and brain.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal DNA methylation has been observed in promoter regions of a number of genes in human alcoholics. It is unclear whether DNA methylation changes in alcoholics result directly from alcohol consumption or predated the occurrence of alcohol abuse or dependence and whether altered DNA methylation influences gene expression. METHODS: We investigated ethanol (EtOH)-induced DNA methylation changes in mouse serotonin receptor 3a gene (Htr3a). A 5-day drinking-in-the-dark paradigm was applied to 28 male outbred CD-1 mice (15 EtOH-drinking and 13 water-drinking). The Sequenom MassARRAY approach was used to quantify methylation levels of 8 CpGs around Htr3a transcription start site in trunk blood and 9 brain regions (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex [DMPFC], ventromedial prefrontal cortex, ventral tegmental area, dorsolateral striatum, dorsomedial striatum [DMSTR], ventral striatum, amygdala, hippocampus [HIPPO], and cerebellum). DNA methylation differences between the 2 groups of mice (EtOH- and water-drinking) were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance with consideration of EtOH consumption amount. Expression levels of Htr3a in the DMSTR were measured by real-time PCR in 14 EtOH-drinking and 14 water-drinking male CD-1 mice. RESULTS: EtOH drinking increased methylation levels of specific Htr3a promoter CpGs in mouse blood (CpG-27: p = 0.028; CpG+54: p = 0.044) and HIPPO (CpG+151: p = 0.012) but reduced methylation levels of specific Htr3a promoter CpGs in mouse DMSTR (CpG-96: p = 0.020; CpG-27: p = 0.035) and DMPFC (CpG+138: p = 0.011; CpG+151: p = 0.040). Nevertheless, methylation levels of Htr3a promoter CpGs in 6 other brain regions were not significantly altered by EtOH consumption. Additionally, the expression level of Htr3a in the DMSTR was 1.43-fold higher in alcohol-drinking mice than in water-drinking mice (p = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that alcohol consumption may induce tissue-specific DNA methylation changes and further suggest that Htr3a promoter methylation levels may be reversely correlated with Htr3a expression levels in specific brain regions such as DMSTR.

A randomized controlled non-inferiority study comparing the antiemetic effect between intravenous granisetron and oral azasetron based on estimated 5-HT3 receptor occupancy.

BACKGROUND: The acute antiemetic effect was compared between oral azasetron and intravenous granisetron based on the 5-hydroxytryptamine(3) (5-HT(3)) receptor occupancy theory. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Receptor occupancy was estimated from reported data on plasma concentrations and affinity constants to 5-HT(3) receptor. A randomized non-inferiority study comparing acute antiemetic effects between oral azasetron and intravenous granisetron was performed in 105 patients receiving the first course of carboplatin-based chemotherapy for lung cancer. RESULTS: Azasetron exhibited the highest 5-HT(3) receptor occupancy among various first-generation 5-HT(3) antagonists. The complete response to oral azasetron was shown to be non-inferior to that of intravenous granisetron, in which the risk difference was 0.0004 (95% confidence interval: -0.0519-0.0527). The lower limit of the confidence intervals did not exceed the negative non-inferiority margin (-0.1). The complete response during the overall period was not different (68% versus 67%). CONCLUSION: Oral azasetron was found to be non-inferior to intravenous granisetron in the acute antiemetic effect against moderately emetogenic chemotherapy.