Hydroxysteroid 17ß-dehydrogenase 11 accumulation on lipid droplets promotes ethanol-induced cellular steatosis.

Lipid droplets (LDs) are fat-storing organelles enclosed by a phospholipid monolayer, which harbors membrane-associated proteins that regulate distinct LD functions. LD proteins are degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and/or by lysosomes. Because chronic ethanol (EtOH) consumption diminishes the hepatic functions of the UPS and lysosomes, we hypothesized that continuous EtOH consumption slows the breakdown of lipogenic LD proteins targeted for degradation, thereby causing LD accumulation. Here, we report that LDs from livers of EtOH-fed rats exhibited higher levels of polyubiquitylated-proteins, linked at either lysine 48 (directed to proteasome) or lysine 63 (directed to lysosomes) than LDs from pair-fed control rats. MS proteomics of LD proteins, immunoprecipitated with UB remnant motif antibody (K-ε-GG), identified 75 potential UB proteins, of which 20 were altered by chronic EtOH administration. Among these, hydroxysteroid 17ß-dehydrogenase 11 (HSD17ß11) was prominent. Immunoblot analyses of LD fractions revealed that EtOH administration enriched HSD17ß11 localization to LDs. When we overexpressed HSD17ß11 in EtOH-metabolizing VA-13 cells, the steroid dehydrogenase 11 became principally localized to LDs, resulting in elevated cellular triglycerides (TGs). Ethanol exposure augmented cellular TG, while HSD17ß11 siRNA decreased both control and EtOH-induced TG accumulation. Remarkably, HSD17ß11 overexpression lowered the LD localization of adipose triglyceride lipase. EtOH exposure further reduced this localization. Reactivation of proteasome activity in VA-13 cells blocked the EtOH-induced rises in both HSD17ß11 and TGs. Our findings indicate that EtOH exposure blocks HSD17ß11 degradation by inhibiting the UPS, thereby stabilizing HSD17ß11 on LD membranes, to prevent lipolysis by adipose triglyceride lipase and promote cellular LD accumulation.

Astrocyte-specific Ca2+ activity: Mechanisms of action, experimental tools, and roles in ethanol-induced dysfunction.

Astrocytes are a subtype of non-neuronal glial cells that reside in the central nervous system. Astrocytes have extensive peripheral astrocytic processes that ensheathe synapses to form the tripartite synapse. Through a multitude of pathways, astrocytes can influence synaptic development and structural maturation, respond to neuronal signals, and modulate synaptic transmission. Over the last decade, strong evidence has emerged demonstrating that astrocytes can influence behavioral outcomes in various animal models of cognition. However, the full extent of how astrocytes influence brain function is still being revealed. Astrocyte calcium (Ca2+) signaling has emerged as an important driver of astrocyte-neuronal communication allowing intricate crosstalk through mechanisms that are still not fully understood. Here, we will review the field's current understanding of astrocyte Ca2+ signaling and discuss the sophisticated state-of-the-art tools and approaches used to continue unraveling astrocytes' interesting role in brain function. Using the field of pre-clinical ethanol (EtOH) studies in the context of alcohol use disorder, we focus on how these novel approaches have helped to reveal an important role for astrocyte Ca2+ function in regulating EtOH consumption and how astrocyte Ca2+ dysfunction contributes to the cognitive deficits that emerge after EtOH exposure in a rodent model.

Dynamic Alterations to Hepatic MicroRNA-29a in Response to Long-Term High-Fat Diet and EtOH Feeding.

MicroRNA-29a (miR-29a) is a well characterized fibro-inflammatory molecule and its aberrant expression is linked to a variety of pathological liver conditions. The long-term effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) in combination with different levels of EtOH consumption on miR-29a expression and liver pathobiology are unknown. Mice at 8 weeks of age were divided into five groups (calorie-matched diet plus water (CMD) as a control group, HFD plus water (HFD) as a liver disease group, HFD plus 2% EtOH (HFD + 2% E), HFD + 10% E, and HFD + 20% E as intervention groups) and fed for 4, 13, 26, or 39 weeks. At each time point, analyses were performed for liver weight/body weight (BW) ratio, AST/ALT ratio, as well as liver histology assessments, which included inflammation, estimated fat deposition, lipid area, and fibrosis. Hepatic miR-29a was measured and correlations with phenotypic traits were determined. Four-week feeding produced no differences between the groups on all collected phenotypic traits or miR-29a expression, while significant effects were observed after 13 weeks, with EtOH concentration-specific induction of miR-29a. A turning point for most of the collected traits was apparent at 26 weeks, and miR-29a was significantly down-regulated with increasing liver injury. Overall, miR-29a up-regulation was associated with a lower liver/BW ratio, fat deposition, inflammation, and fibrosis, suggesting a protective role of miR-29a against liver disease progression. A HFD plus increasing concentrations of EtOH produces progressive adverse effects on the liver, with no evidence of beneficial effects of low-dose EtOH consumption. Moreover, miR-29a up-regulation is associated with less severe liver injury.

Interactive deciphering electron-shuttling characteristics of Coffea arabica leaves and potential bioenergy-steered anti-SARS-CoV-2 RdRp inhibitor via microbial fuel cells.

Due to the pandemics of COVID-19, herbal medicine has recently been explored for possible antiviral treatment and prevention via novel platform of microbial fuel cells. It was revealed that Coffea arabica leaves was very appropriate for anti-COVID-19 drug development. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory tests exhibited the most promising activities for C. arabica ethanol extracts and drying approaches were implemented on the leaf samples prior to ethanol extraction. Ethanol extracts of C. arabica leaves were applied to bioenergy evaluation via DC-MFCs, clearly revealing that air-dried leaves (CA-A-EtOH) exhibited the highest bioenergy-stimulating capabilities (ca. 2.72 fold of power amplification to the blank). Furthermore, molecular docking analysis was implemented to decipher the potential of C. arabica leaves metabolites. Chlorogenic acid (-6.5 kcal/mol) owned the highest binding affinity with RdRp of SARS-CoV-2, showing a much lower average RMSF value than an apoprotein. This study suggested C. arabica leaves as an encouraging medicinal herb against SARS-CoV-2.

Ethanol attenuates presentation of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitopes on hepatocytes of HBV-infected humanized mice.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Approximately 3.5% of the global population is chronically infected with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), which puts them at high risk of end-stage liver disease, with the risk of persistent infection potentiated by alcohol consumption. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of alcohol on HBV persistence remain unclear. Here, we aimed to establish in vivo/ex vivo evidence that alcohol suppresses HBV peptides-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen display on primary human hepatocytes (PHH), which diminishes the recognition and clearance of HBV-infected hepatocytes by cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs). METHODS: We used fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (Fah)-/-, Rag2-/-, common cytokine receptor gamma chain knock-out (FRG-KO) humanized mice transplanted with human leukocyte antigen-A2 (HLA-A2)-positive hepatocytes. The mice were HBV-infected and fed control and alcohol diets. Isolated hepatocytes were exposed ex vivo to HBV 18-27-HLA-A2-restricted CTLs to quantify cytotoxicity. For mechanistic studies, we measured proteasome activities, unfolded protein response (UPR), and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in hepatocytes from HBV-infected humanized mouse livers. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We found that alcohol feeding attenuated HBV core 18-27-HLA-A2 complex presentation on infected hepatocytes due to the suppression of proteasome function and ER stress induction, which diminished both the processing of HBV peptides and trafficking of HBV-MHC class I complexes to the hepatocyte surface. This alcohol-mediated decrease in MHC class I-restricted antigen presentation of the CTL epitope on target hepatocytes reduced the CTL-specific elimination of infected cells, potentially leading to HBV-infection persistence, which promotes end-stage liver disease outcomes.

The impact of intermittent exercise on mouse ethanol drinking and abstinence-associated affective behavior and physiology.

BACKGROUND: Negative emotional states are associated with the initiation and maintenance of alcohol use and drive relapse to drinking during withdrawal and protracted abstinence. Physical exercise is correlated with decreased negative affective symptoms, although a direct relationship between drinking patterns and exercise level has not been fully elucidated. METHODS: We incorporated intermittent running wheel access into a chronic continuous access, two-bottle choice alcohol drinking model in female C57BL/6J mice. Wheel access was granted intermittently once mice established a preference for alcohol over water. After 6 weeks, alcohol was removed (forced abstinence) and mice were given continuous access to unlocked or locked wheels. Negative affect-like behavior, home cage behavior, and metabolic activity were measured during protracted abstinence. RESULTS: Wheel access shifted drinking patterns in the mice, increasing drinking when the wheel was locked, and decreasing drinking when unlocked. Moreover, alcohol preference and consumption were strongly negatively correlated with the amount of running. An assessment of negative affect-like behavior in abstinence via the novelty suppressed feeding and saccharin preference tests (SPT) showed that unlimited wheel access mitigated abstinence-induced latency increases. Mice in abstinence also spent more time sleeping during the active dark cycle than control mice, providing additional evidence for abstinence-induced anhedonia- and depression-like behavior. Furthermore, running wheel access in abstinence decreased dark cycle sleep to comparable alcohol- and wheel-naïve mice. Given the positive impact of exercise and the negative impact of alcohol on metabolic health, we compared metabolic phenotypes of alcohol-abstinent mice with and without wheel access. Wheel access increased energy expenditure, carbon dioxide production, and oxygen consumption, providing a potential metabolic mechanism through which wheel access improves affective state. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that including exercise in AUD treatment regimens has the potential to reduce drinking, improve affective state during abstinence and could serve as a non-pharmacological approach to prevent the development of an AUD in high-risk individuals.

Chloride intracellular channel 4 (CLIC4) expression profile in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex and its regulation by ethanol.

BACKGROUND: Chloride intracellular channel 4 (CLIC4) is a multifunctional metamorphic protein for which a growing body of evidence supports a major role in the brain's molecular and behavioral responses to ethanol (EtOH). Although key to understanding the functional biology underlying this role, little is known about the cellular and subcellular expression patterns of CLIC4 in brain and how they are affected by EtOH. METHODS: We used qRT-PCR to assess Clic4 mRNA expression in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of C57BL/6J mice in the absence and presence of acute EtOH exposure. Two complementary immunohistochemical techniques were employed to assess the subcellular localization of the CLIC4 protein and its pattern of expression across brain cell types in the mPFC in the absence and presence of acute EtOH. RESULTS: Through immunohistochemical and stereological techniques, we show that CLIC4 protein is robustly expressed by oligodendrocytes (most abundant), microglia, and astrocytes, with minimal expression in neurons. Following acute EtOH exposure, we observed a rapid increase in Clic4 mRNA expression in female but not male mice and an overall increase in the number of oligodendrocytes and astrocytes expressing the CLIC4 protein. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that Clic4 functions as an early response gene for acute EtOH in brain, which likely underlies its ability to modulate EtOH behavior. Our results also suggest that the role of CLIC4 in the brain's response to EtOH is mediated through oligodendrocytes.

Neuromuscular mechanisms of weakness in a mouse model of chronic alcoholic myopathy.

BACKGROUND: Weakness is a common clinical symptom reported in individuals with chronic alcohol use disorder. However, it remains unclear whether low strength in these individuals is directly related to excessive ethanol intake, other deleterious factors (lifestyle, environment, genetics, etc.), or a combination of both. Therefore, we examined whether (and how) ethanol reduces the muscle's force-producing capacity using a controlled in vivo preclinical mouse model of excessive ethanol intake. METHODS: To establish whether chronic ethanol consumption causes weakness, C57BL/6 female mice consumed 20% ethanol for 40 weeks (following a 2-week ethanol ramping period), and various measures of muscular force were quantified. Functional measures included all-limb grip strength and in vivo contractility of the left ankle dorsiflexors and plantarflexors. Once confirmed that mice consuming ethanol were weaker than age-matched controls, we sought to determine the potential neuromuscular mechanisms of muscle dysfunction by assessing neuromuscular excitation, muscle quantity, and muscle quality. RESULTS: Mice consuming chronic ethanol were 13 to 16% weaker (p ≤ 0.016) than controls (i.e., mice consuming 100% water) with the negative impact of ethanol on voluntary grip strength (ƞ2  = 0.603) being slightly larger than that of electrically stimulated muscle contractility (ƞ2  = 0.482). Relative to controls, lean mass and muscle wet masses were 9 to 16% lower in ethanol-consuming mice (p ≤ 0.048, ƞ2  ≥ 0.268). No significant changes were observed between groups for indices of neuromuscular excitation at the level of the motor unit, neuromuscular junction, or plasmalemma (p ≥ 0.259, ƞ2  ≤ 0.097), nor was muscle quality altered after 40 weeks of 20% ethanol consumption (p ≥ 0.695, ƞ2  ≤ 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Together, these findings establish that chronic ethanol consumption in mice induces a substantial weakness in vivo that we interpret to be primarily due to muscle atrophy (i.e., reduced muscle quantity) and possibly, to a lesser degree, loss of central neural drive.

Impact of adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure on interneurons and their surrounding perineuronal nets in adulthood.

BACKGROUND: Binge alcohol exposure during adolescence results in long-lasting alterations in the brain and behavior. For example, adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure in rodents results in long-term loss of functional connectivity among prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatal regions as well as a variety of neurochemical, molecular, and epigenetic alterations. Interneurons in the PFC and striatum play critical roles in behavioral flexibility and functional connectivity. For example, parvalbumin (PV) interneurons are known to contribute to neural synchrony and cholinergic interneurons contribute to strategy selection. Furthermore, extracellular perineuronal nets (PNNs) that surround some interneurons, particularly PV+ interneurons, further regulate cellular plasticity. The effect of AIE exposure on the expression of these markers within the PFC is not well understood. METHODS: The present study tested the hypothesis that AIE exposure reduces the expression of PV+ and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)+ interneurons in the adult PFC and striatum and increases the related expression of PNNs (marked by binding of Wisteria floribunda agglutinin lectin) in adulthood. Male rats were exposed to AIE (5 g/kg/day, 2-days-on/2-days-off, i.e., P25 to P54) or water (CON), and brain tissue was harvested in adulthood (>P80). Immunohistochemistry and co-immunofluorescence were used to assess the expression of ChAT, PV, and PNNs within the adult PFC and striatum following AIE exposure. RESULTS: ChAT and PV interneuron densities in the striatum and PFC were unchanged after AIE exposure. However, PNN density in the PFC of AIE-exposed rats was greater than in CON rats. Moreover, significantly more PV neurons were surrounded by PNNs in AIE-exposed subjects than controls in both PFC subregions assessed: orbitofrontal cortex (CON = 34%; AIE = 40%) and medial PFC (CON = 10%; AIE = 14%). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that, following AIE exposure, PV interneuron expression in the adult PFC and striatum is unaltered, while PNNs surrounding these neurons are increased. This increase in PNNs may restrict the plasticity of the ensheathed neurons, thereby contributing to impaired microcircuitry in frontostriatal connectivity and related behavioral impairments.

Chronic ethanol consumption plus an atherogenic diet cause metabolic steatohepatitis with advanced liver fibrosis in apolipoprotein E/low-density lipoprotein receptor double-knockout mice.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is the inflammatory subtype of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with a high risk of progression to liver fibrosis. We investigated metabolic steatohepatitis with advanced liver fibrosis in apolipoprotein E/low-density lipoprotein receptor double-knockout (AL) mice fed a co-diet of ethanol with a low-carbohydrate-high-protein-high-fat atherogenic diet (AD) for 16 weeks. We also examined the underlying mechanisms, especially hepatic sympathetic activation, involved in the effects. METHODS: We maintained 12-week-old male AL mice on AD and a standard chow diet (SCD) with or without ethanol treatment for 16 weeks. Age-matched male C57BL/6J mice on SCD without ethanol treatment served as controls. We conducted blood biochemical, histopathological, and fluorescence immunohistochemical, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction studies. RESULTS: AL mice showed significant hyperlipidemia. AD induced increased body weight, hepatic steatosis, and hepatic damage; ethanol and the AD co-diet resulted in hepatic sympathetic activation accompanied by hepatic steatosis, lobular inflammation, bridging fibrosis, and hepatic damage. Hepatic Kupffer cells (KCs) and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which showed sympathetic activation, produced 4.4- to 9.4-fold more inflammatory factors (KC and KC-derived tumor necrosis factor-α, and chemokine [C-C motif] ligand 2) and 2.0- to 32.0-fold more fibrosis factors (HSC and HSC-derived transforming growth factor ß1 and collagen 1a1); all p < 0.05 vs. controls. CONCLUSIONS: We created a model of metabolic steatohepatitis with advanced liver fibrosis from coexisting hyperlipidemia and hepatic sympathetic activation in AL mice on a co-diet of ethanol and AD. KCs and HSCs became the cellular targets of hepatic sympathetic activation, which could play a role in the initiation and progression of metabolic steatohepatitis with advanced liver fibrosis.

COVID-19 patients with documented alcohol use disorder or alcohol-related complications are more likely to be hospitalized and have higher all-cause mortality.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected every country globally, with hundreds of millions of people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and over 6 million deaths to date. It is unknown how alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects the severity and mortality of COVID-19. AUD is known to increase the severity and mortality of bacterial pneumonia and the risk of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome. Our objective is to determine whether individuals with AUD have increased severity and mortality from COVID-19. METHODS: We utilized a retrospective cohort study of inpatients and outpatients from 44 centers participating in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative. All were adult COVID-19 patients with and without documented AUDs. RESULTS: We identified 25,583 COVID-19 patients with an AUD and 1,309,445 without. In unadjusted comparisons, those with AUD had higher odds of hospitalization (odds ratio [OR] 2.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.94 to 2.06, p < 0.001). After adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking, body mass index, and comorbidities, individuals with an AUD still had higher odds of requiring hospitalization (adjusted OR [aOR] 1.51, CI 1.46 to 1.56, p < 0.001). In unadjusted comparisons, individuals with AUD had higher odds of all-cause mortality (OR 2.18, CI 2.05 to 2.31, p < 0.001). After adjustment as above, individuals with an AUD still had higher odds of all-cause mortality (aOR 1.55, CI 1.46 to 1.65, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This work suggests that AUD can increase the severity and mortality of COVID-19 infection. This reinforces the need for clinicians to obtain an accurate alcohol history from patients hospitalized with COVID-19. For this study, our results are limited by an inability to quantify the daily drinking habits of the participants. Studies are needed to determine the mechanisms by which AUD increases the severity and mortality of COVID-19.

The development, but not expression, of alcohol front-loading in C57BL/6J mice maintained on LabDiet 5001 is abolished by maintenance on Teklad 2920x rodent diet.

BACKGROUND: Excessive alcohol (ethanol) consumption, such as binge drinking, is extremely commonplace and represents a major health concern. Through modeling excessive drinking in rodents, we are beginning to uncover the neurobiological and neurobehavioral causes and consequences of this pattern of ethanol intake. One important factor for modeling binge drinking in mice is that they reliably drink to blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) of 80 mg/dl or higher. Drinking-in-the-dark (DID) is a commonly used mouse model of binge drinking, and we have shown that this method reliably results in robust ethanol front-loading and binge-level BECs in C57BL/6J (B6) mice and other ethanol-preferring mouse strains/lines. However, establishing the DID model in a new vivarium space forced us to consider the use of rodent diet formulations that we had not previously used. METHODS: The current set of experiments were designed to investigate the role of two standard rodent diet formulations on binge drinking and the development of ethanol front-loading using DID. RESULTS: We found that BECs in animals maintained on LabDiet 5001 (LD01) were double those found in mice maintained on Teklad 2920x (TL20). Interestingly, this effect was paralleled by differences in the degree of front-loading, such that LD01-fed mice consumed approximately twice as much ethanol in the first 15 min of the 2-h DID sessions as the TL20-fed mice. Surprisingly, however, mice that developed front-loading during maintenance on the LD01 diet continued to display front-loading behavior after being switched to the TL20 diet. CONCLUSIONS: These data emphasize the importance of choosing and reporting diet formulations when conducting voluntary drinking studies and support the need for further investigation into the mechanisms behind diet-induced differences in binge drinking, particularly front-loading.

Synthesis, spectroscopic, and computational studies on molecular charge-transfer complex of 2-((2-hydroxybenzylidene) amino)-2-(hydroxymethyl) propane-1, 3-diol with chloranilic acid: Potential antiviral activity simulation of CT-complex against SARS-CoV-2.

An innovative charge-transfer complex between the Schiff base 2-((2-hydroxybenzylidene) amino)-2-(hydroxymethyl) propane-1,3-diol [SAL-THAM] and the π-acceptor, chloranilic acid (CLA) within the mole ratio (1:1) was synthesized and characterized aiming to investigate its electronic transition spectra in acetonitrile (ACN), methanol (MeOH) and ethanol (EtOH) solutions. Applying Job`s method in the three solvents supported the 1:1 (CLA: SAL-THAM) mole ratio complex formation. The formation of stable CT- complex was shown by the highest values of charge-transfer complex formation constants, KCT, calculated using minimum-maximum absorbance method, with the sequence, acetonitrile > ethanol > methanol DFT study on the synthesized CT complex was applied based on the B3LYP method to evaluate the optimized structure and extract geometrical and reactivity parameters. Based on TD-DFT theory, the electronic properties, 1H and 13C NMR, IR, and UV-Vis spectra of the studied system in different solvents showing good agreement with the experimental studies. MEP map described the possibility of hydrogen bonding and charge transfer in the studied system. Finally, a computational approach for screening the antiviral activity of CT - complex towards SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus protease via molecular docking simulation was conducted and confirmed with molecular dynamic (MD) simulation.

Primed for addiction: A critical review of the role of microglia in the neurodevelopmental consequences of adolescent alcohol drinking.

Alcohol is one of the most widely used recreational substances worldwide, with drinking frequently initiated during adolescence. The developmental state of the adolescent brain makes it vulnerable to initiating alcohol use, often in high doses, and particularly susceptible to alcohol-induced brain changes. Microglia, the brain parenchymal macrophages, have been implicated in mediating some of these effects, though the role that these cells play in the progression from alcohol drinking to dependence remains unclear. Microglia are uniquely positioned to sense and respond to central nervous system insult, and are now understood to exhibit innate immune memory, or "priming," altering their future functional responses based on prior exposures. In alcohol use disorders (AUDs), the role of microglia is debated. Whereas microglial activation can be pathogenic, contributing to neuroinflammation, tissue damage, and behavioral changes, or protective, it can also engage protective functions, providing support and mediating the resolution of damage. Understanding the role of microglia in adolescent AUDs is complicated by the fact that microglia are thought to be involved in developmental processes such as synaptic refinement and myelination, which underlie the functional maturation of multiple brain systems in adolescence. Thus, the role microglia play in the impact of alcohol use in adolescence is likely multifaceted. Long-term sequelae may be due to a failure to recover from EtOH-induced tissue damage, altered neurodevelopmental trajectories, and/or persistent changes to microglial responsivity and function. Here, we review critically the literature surrounding the effects of alcohol on microglia in models of adolescent alcohol misuse. We attempt to disentangle what is known about microglia from other neuroimmune effectors, to which we apply recent discoveries on the role of microglia in development and plasticity. Considered altogether, these studies challenge assumptions that proinflammatory microglia drive addiction. Alcohol priming microglia and thereby perturbing their homeostatic roles in neurodevelopment, especially during critical periods of plasticity such as adolescence, may have more serious implications for the neuropathogenesis of AUDs in adolescents.

Intoxication Effects on Impulsive Alcohol Choice in Heavy Drinkers: Correlation With Sensation Seeking and Differential Effects by Commodity.

BACKGROUND: The preference for immediate rewards and high sensation seeking are both potent risk factors for alcohol use disorder (AUD), but how they interact during intoxication is poorly understood. To model decision making linked to AUD risk, we tested heavy drinkers for impulsive choice (delay discounting with alcohol:money or money:money) and behavioral sensation seeking using a novel odor choice task. Laboratory tasks measured actual behavior with real contingencies. Our goals were to determine, in heavy drinkers, (i) alcohol's effects on delay discounting, and (ii) how AUD risk factors relate to delay discounting, and (iii) how delay discounting with alcohol choices compares with strictly monetary choices. METHODS: Thirty-five heavy drinkers (≥2 binges per month; age = 22.8 ± 2.2; 20 male; 5.8 ± 2.3 drinks/drinking day) performed cross-commodity discounting (CCD) of immediate alcohol vs. delayed money, a monetary delay discounting (DD), and behavioral sensation-seeking tasks. CCD and DD were performed while sober and during controlled alcohol infusion targeting 0.08 g/dl. The behavioral sensation-seeking task presented binary choices of odorants varying in intensity and novelty, and the risk of exposure to a malodorant. RESULTS: CCD and DD behaviors were highly correlated across conditions, mean r = 0.64. Alcohol increased delayed reward preference in DD, p = 0.001, but did not alter mean CCD, p > 0.16. However, alcohol-induced changes in CCD correlated with behavioral sensation seeking, such that higher sensation seekers' immediate alcohol preference increased when intoxicated, p = 0.042; self-reported sensation seeking was uncorrelated, ps > 0.08. Behavioral sensation seeking also correlated with "want" alcohol following a priming dose targeting 0.035 g/dl, p = 0.021. CCD and DD did not correlate with self-reported drinking problems or other personality risk traits. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol increased impulsive alcohol choice in high sensation seekers, suggesting an interaction that may underlie impaired control of drinking, at least in a subset of heavy drinkers-consistent with models highlighting high novelty/sensation-seeking AUD subtypes. Discounting behavior overall appears to be a generalized process, and relatively stable across methods, repeated testing, and intoxication. These findings further support the utility of behavioral tasks in uncovering key behavioral phenotypes in AUD.

Application of Quality by Design to the robust preparation of a liposomal GLA formulation by DELOS-susp method.

Fabry disease is a lysosomal storage disease arising from a deficiency of the enzyme α-galactosidase A (GLA). The enzyme deficiency results in an accumulation of glycolipids, which over time, leads to cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and renal disease, ultimately leading to death in the fourth or fifth decade of life. Currently, lysosomal storage disorders are treated by enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) through the direct administration of the missing enzyme to the patients. In view of their advantages as drug delivery systems, liposomes are increasingly being researched and utilized in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries, but one of the main barriers to market is their scalability. Depressurization of an Expanded Liquid Organic Solution into aqueous solution (DELOS-susp) is a compressed fluid-based method that allows the reproducible and scalable production of nanovesicular systems with remarkable physicochemical characteristics, in terms of homogeneity, morphology, and particle size. The objective of this work was to optimize and reach a suitable formulation for in vivo preclinical studies by implementing a Quality by Design (QbD) approach, a methodology recommended by the FDA and the EMA to develop robust drug manufacturing and control methods, to the preparation of α-galactosidase-loaded nanoliposomes (nanoGLA) for the treatment of Fabry disease. Through a risk analysis and a Design of Experiments (DoE), we obtained the Design Space in which GLA concentration and lipid concentration were found as critical parameters for achieving a stable nanoformulation. This Design Space allowed the optimization of the process to produce a nanoformulation suitable for in vivo preclinical testing.

Defining the role of CFTR channel blocker and ClC-2 activator in DNBS induced gastrointestinal inflammation.

In the present study, we have investigated and/or compared the role of glibenclamide, G as cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) inhibitor, and lubiprostone, L as chloride channel-2 (ClC-2) activator in the 2,4-dinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (DNBS)-induced gastrointestinal inflammation. GI inflammation was induced by intrarectal administration of DNBS. Rats were randomly allocated in 5 groups as sham control, distilled water + DNBS, sulfasalazine (S) + DNBS, G + DNBS, and L + DNBS. All the groups were pre-treated successively for five days before the induction of colitis. One day before and the first four days after DNBS administration various parameters were studied. Later, blood chemistry, colon's gross structure, histology, and the antioxidant load was examined. Pre-treatment with G significantly protected the change induced by DNBS concerning the change in body weight, food intake, diarrhea, occult blood in the feces, wet weight of the colon, and spleen. G because of its anti-inflammatory property down-regulated the neutrophil and WBC count and up-regulated the lymphocyte number. Moreover, G efficiently ameliorates the oxidative stress in the colon and declines the level of myeloperoxidase and malondialdehyde and up-regulated the level of superoxide dismutase and glutathione. Lubiprostone has not shown any promising effects, in fact, it causes an increase in diarrheal frequency. Our findings from this study represent that G has good potential to ameliorate GI inflammation induced by DNBS by its multiple actions including CFTR blockage and reducing the release of inflammatory markers from the MCs, anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging property.

Chronic Voluntary Ethanol Drinking in Cynomolgus Macaques Elicits Gene Expression Changes in Prefrontal Cortical Area 46.

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide profiling to examine brain transcriptional features associated with excessive ethanol (EtOH) consumption has been applied to a variety of species including rodents, nonhuman primates (NHPs), and humans. However, these data were obtained from cross-sectional samples which are particularly vulnerable to individual variation when obtained from small outbred populations typical of human and NHP studies. In the current study, a novel within-subject design was used to examine the effects of voluntary EtOH consumption on prefrontal cortex (PFC) gene expression in a NHP model. METHODS: Two cohorts of cynomolgus macaques (n = 23) underwent a schedule-induced polydipsia procedure to establish EtOH self-administration followed by 6 months of daily open access to EtOH (4% w/v) and water. Individual daily EtOH intakes ranged from an average of 0.7 to 3.7 g/kg/d. Dorsal lateral PFC area 46 (A46) brain biopsies were collected in EtOH-naïve and control monkeys; contralateral A46 biopsies were collected from the same monkeys following the 6 months of fluid consumption. Gene expression changes were assessed using RNA-Seq paired analysis, which allowed for correction of individual baseline differences in gene expression. RESULTS: A total of 675 genes were significantly down-regulated following EtOH consumption; these were functionally enriched for immune response, cell adhesion, plasma membrane, and extracellular matrix. A total of 567 genes that were up-regulated following EtOH consumption were enriched in microRNA target sites and included target sites associated with Toll-like receptor pathways. The differentially expressed genes were also significantly enriched in transcription factor binding sites. CONCLUSIONS: The data presented here are the first to use a longitudinal biopsy strategy to examine how chronic EtOH consumption affects gene expression in the primate PFC. Prominent effects were seen in both cell adhesion and neuroimmune pathways; the latter contained both pro- and antiinflammatory genes. The data also indicate that changes in miRNAs and transcription factors may be important epigenetic regulators of EtOH consumption.

Proteomic Profiling Reveals Roles of Stress Response, Ca2+ Transient Dysregulation, and Novel Signaling Pathways in Alcohol-Induced Cardiotoxicity.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use in pregnancy increases the risk of abnormal cardiac development, and excessive alcohol consumption in adults can induce cardiomyopathy, contractile dysfunction, and arrhythmias. Understanding molecular mechanisms underlying alcohol-induced cardiac toxicity could provide guidance in the development of therapeutic strategies. METHODS: We have performed proteomic and bioinformatic analysis to examine protein alterations globally and quantitatively in cardiomyocytes derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-CMs) treated with ethanol (EtOH). Proteins in both cell lysates and extracellular culture media were systematically quantitated. RESULTS: Treatment with EtOH caused severe detrimental effects on hiPSC-CMs as indicated by significant cell death and deranged Ca2+ handling. Treatment of hiPSC-CMs with EtOH significantly affected proteins responsible for stress response (e.g., GPX1 and HSPs), ion channel-related proteins (e.g. ATP1A2), myofibril structure proteins (e.g., MYL2/3), and those involved in focal adhesion and extracellular matrix (e.g., ILK and PXN). Proteins involved in the TNF receptor-associated factor 2 signaling (e.g., CPNE1 and TNIK) were also affected by EtOH treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The observed changes in protein expression highlight the involvement of oxidative stress and dysregulation of Ca2+ handling and contraction while also implicating potential novel targets in alcohol-induced cardiotoxicity. These findings facilitate further exploration of potential mechanisms, discovery of novel biomarkers, and development of targeted therapeutics against EtOH-induced cardiotoxicity.

Ethanol Alters Variability, But Not Rate, of Firing in Medial Prefrontal Cortex Neurons of Awake-Behaving Rats.

BACKGROUND: The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a brain region involved in the evaluation and selection of motivationally relevant outcomes. Neural activity in mPFC is altered following acute ethanol (EtOH) use and, in rodent models, doses as low as 0.75 g/kg yield cognitive deficits. Deficits in decision making following acute EtOH are thought to be mediated, at least in part, by decreases in mPFC firing rates (FRs). However, the data leading to this conclusion have been generated exclusively in anesthetized rodents. The present study characterizes the effects of acute EtOH injections on mPFC neural activity in awake-behaving rodents. METHODS: Awake-behaving and anesthetized in vivo electrophysiological recordings were performed. We utilized 3 groups: the first received 2 saline injections, the second received a saline injection followed by 1.0 g/kg EtOH, and the last received saline followed by 2 g/kg EtOH. One week later, an anesthetized recording occurred where a saline injection was followed by an injection of 1.0 g/kg EtOH. RESULTS: The anesthetized condition showed robust decreases in neural activity and differences in up-down states (UDS) dynamics. In the awake-behaving condition, FRs were grouped according to behavioral state: moving, not-moving, and sleep. The differences in median FRs were found for each treatment and behavioral state combination. A FR decrease was only found in the 2.0 g/kg EtOH treatment during not-moving states. However, robust decreases in FR variability were found across behavioral state in both the 1.0 and 2.0 g/kg EtOH treatment. Sleep was separately analyzed. EtOH modulated the UDS during sleep producing decreases in FRs. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the changes in neural activity following EtOH administration in anesthetized animals are not conserved in awake-behaving animals. The most prominent difference following EtOH was a decrease in FR variability suggesting that acute EtOH may be affecting decision making via this mechanism.