AI Article Synopsis
- Binge drinking leads to cycles of intoxication and withdrawal, which can harm brain cells and lead to neurological damage, but the exact molecular processes are not fully understood.
- In a study using mice, researchers found that ethanol (EtOH) alters ceramide metabolism in the brain during both intoxication and withdrawal phases, affecting the levels of various ceramide species and the enzymes related to their production and breakdown.
- During intoxication, there were lower levels of ceramides and reduced enzyme expression for their production, suggesting a neuroprotective effect; however, during withdrawal, levels of certain ceramides increased, indicating a potential for toxicity.
Article Abstract
Binge drinking is a common form of alcohol abuse that involves repeated rounds of intoxication followed by withdrawal. The episodic effects of binge drinking and withdrawal on brain resident cells are thought to contribute to neural remodeling and neurological damage. However, the molecular mechanisms for these neurodegenerative effects are not understood. Ethanol (EtOH) regulates the metabolism of ceramide, a highly bioactive lipid that is enriched in brain. We used a mouse model of binge drinking to determine the effects of EtOH intoxication and withdrawal on brain ceramide metabolism. Intoxication and acute alcohol withdrawal were each associated with distinct changes in ceramide regulatory genes and metabolic products. EtOH intoxication was accompanied by decreased concentrations of multiple ceramides, coincident with reductions in the expression of enzymes involved in the production of ceramides, and increased expression of ceramide-degrading enzymes. EtOH withdrawal was associated with specific increases in ceramide C16:0, C18:0, and C20:0 and increased expression of enzymes involved with ceramide production. These data suggest that EtOH intoxication may evoke a ceramide phenotype that is neuroprotective, whereas EtOH withdrawal results in a metabolic shift that increases the production of potentially toxic ceramide species.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4405906 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jnc.12834 | DOI Listing |
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