Acute and chronic alcohol exposure obviously affects epigenetic changes, both transient and permanent, and these changes in turn affect a variety of cells and organ systems throughout the body.
Many of the alcohol-induced epigenetic changes may contribute to cellular adaptations that ultimately lead to behavioral tolerance and alcohol dependence. The persistence of behavioral changes indicates that long-lasting changes in gene expression in specific regions of the brain may be an important contributor to the addiction phenotype.
Research activities in recent years have shown that epigenetic mechanisms play a crucial role in causing long-lasting and transient changes in the expression of various genes in different tissues, including the brain. This has stimulated recent research aimed at characterizing the influence of epigenetic regulatory events in mediating the long-lasting and transient effects of alcohol abuse on the brain in humans and animal models of alcohol dependence.
In this study, we update our current understanding of the influence of alcohol exposure on epigenetic mechanisms in the brain and refresh the knowledge of epigenetics toward new drug development.
Ann Neurosci.: Epigenetic Modifications, Alcoholic Brain and Potential Drug Targets
Found at Alkohol adé (german)
