Glucocorticoid Receptor Dysregulation: a Genetic Risk Factor for Excessive Alcohol Consumption in High Drinking in the Dark (HDID-1) Mice

项目摘要 酗酒对健康和社会有着显著的负面影响，并且是一个主要的预测因素。 酒精使用障碍（AUD）。在黑暗中大量饮酒（HDID-1）系小鼠，选择性 在一个限制性的暴饮暴食任务中，为高血液乙醇浓度（BEC）而饲养， 许多糖皮质激素受体（GR）调节蛋白相对于它们的低水平表达的差异基因表达， 饮用方正线，HS/Npt. GR的表达已被证明是改变响应慢性酒精 暴露和促进依赖样模型中的进一步酒精摄入，但GR失调尚未 被确定为非依赖性动物过量饮酒的遗传风险因素。 初步数据显示，HDID-1小鼠在给予 米非司酮，GR拮抗剂，仅暴露于单次2小时乙醇饮用期后。这些 数据表明，HDID-1系中对高BEC的选择导致了敏化GR系统， 促进酗酒这个奖学金项目的目标是研究增强GR活性的作用， 过量饮酒的遗传风险因素。目标1将表征GR表达， 高饮酒HDID-1小鼠相对于低饮酒创始人系的脑中的转录活性， HS/Npt.具体地，将定量神经核（NAc）中的GR和GR相关信号传导基因， 因为先前已经显示NAc中的GR表达促进酒精摄入。目标2将决定 药物对NAc中GR的操纵是否可以双向调节狂饮。双边 将在（1）HDID-1小鼠的NAc中进行插管以递送GR拮抗剂并试图减少 酗酒，以及（2）HS/Npt小鼠递送GR激动剂并试图增加酗酒。的 这一目标的结果将确定在NAc中的GR操纵是否足以改变狂饮。目标3 将研究HDID-1小鼠中的GR拮抗作用是否足以防止慢性饮酒后饮酒量的增加。 间歇性乙醇（CIE）蒸汽暴露，复发样饮酒模型。这一目标的结果将 确定在HDID-1小鼠中驱动狂饮的相同机制是否也是复发样 喝酒目的1利用基础科学的方法来检查可能已经改变的分子途径 通过选择压力，而目标2和3将提供对潜在药理学的翻译见解， 治疗AUD患者。总之，本项目中的实验将提供更好的理解 大脑中的GR活动如何导致非依赖性和 依赖型饮酒模式

Project Summary Binge drinking has significant negative consequences for health and society, and is a major predictor for the development of an alcohol use disorder (AUD). The High Drinking in the Dark (HDID-1) line of mice, selectively bred for high blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) in a limited access binge-like drinking task, exhibit differential gene expression of a number of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) regulator proteins relative to their low- drinking founder line, HS/Npt. GR expression has been shown to be altered in response to chronic alcohol exposure and to promote further alcohol intake in dependence-like models, but GR dysregulation has not yet been identified as a genetic risk factor for excessive alcohol consumption in non-dependent animals. Preliminary data show that HDID-1 mice exhibit a dose-dependent reduction in binge drinking when given mifepristone, a GR antagonist, after only being exposed to a single 2-hour ethanol drinking session. These data suggest that selection for high BECs in the HDID-1 line has led to a sensitized GR system that may promote binge drinking. The goal of this fellowship project is to investigate the role of enhanced GR activity as a genetic risk factor for excessive alcohol consumption. Aim 1 will characterize GR expression and transcriptional activity in the brains of the high-drinking HDID-1 mice relative to the low-drinking founder line, HS/Npt. Specifically, GR and GR-related signaling genes in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) will be quantified, as GR expression in the NAc has previously been shown to promote alcohol intake. Aim 2 will determine whether pharmacological manipulation of GR in the NAc can bi-directionally modulate binge drinking. Bilateral cannulation will be performed in the NAc of (1) HDID-1 mice to deliver a GR antagonist and attempt to reduce binge drinking, and of (2) HS/Npt mice to deliver a GR agonist and attempt to increase binge drinking. The results of this aim will determine whether GR manipulation in the NAc is sufficient to alter binge drinking. Aim 3 will investigate whether GR antagonism in HDID-1 mice is sufficient to prevent escalated drinking after chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor exposure, a model of relapse-like drinking. The results of this aim will determine whether the same mechanisms driving binge drinking in HDID-1 mice also underlie relapse-like drinking. Aim 1 utilizes a basic science approach to examine molecular pathways that may have been altered through selection pressure, while Aims 2 and 3 will provide translational insight into potential pharmacological treatments for patients with AUD. Together, the experiments in this project will provide a better understanding of how GR activity in the brain contributes to excessive alcohol consumption in both non-dependent and dependent-like models of drinking.