Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a relapsing disease described as excessive use of alcohol. Evidence of the role of DNA methylation in addiction is accumulating. Ghrelin is an important peptide known as appetite hormone and its role in addictive behavior has been identified. Here we aimed to determine the methylation levels of two crucial genes (GHRL and GHSR) in ghrelin signaling and further investigate the association between methylation ratios and plasma ghrelin levels.
Methods: Individuals diagnosed with (n = 71) and without (n = 82) AUD were recruited in this study. DNA methylation levels were measured through methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting (MS-HRM). Acylated ghrelin levels were detected by ELISA. The GHRL rs696217 polymorphism was analyzed by the standard PCR-RFLP method.
Results: GHRL was significantly hypermethylated (P < 0.0022) in AUD between 25 and 50% methylation than in control subjects but no significant changes of GHSR methylation were observed. Moreover, GHRL showed significant positive correlation of methylation ratio between 25 and 50% with age. A significant positive correlation between GHSR methylation and ghrelin levels in the AUD group was determined (P = 0.037). The level of GHRL methylation and the ghrelin levels showed a significant association in the control subjects (P = 0.042).
Conclusion: GHSR and GHRL methylation levels did not change significantly between control and AUD groups. However, GHRL and GHSR methylations seemed to have associations with plasma ghrelin levels in two groups. This is the first study investigating the DNA methylation of GHRL and GHSR genes in AUD.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11033-024-09585-4 | DOI Listing |
Anal Methods
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Hyderabad 500078, India.
In this work, we have explored the metal ion sensing properties of two bisbenzimidazole-based fluorescent probes, that differ in their conformational flexibility, in an aqueous medium. The compound with a flexible methyl spacer (1) experienced blue shifts in its absorption and emission maxima (along with a turn-off response) upon the addition of Hg ions. On the contrary, the compound with a relatively rigid structure (2) showed red shifts in both its absorption and emission maxima (along with a turn-off response) when treated with Hg under similar conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActa Neurobiol Exp (Wars)
January 2025
Ondokuz Mayıs University, School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Samsun, Turkey.
Neuroinflammation and the immune response are recognized as significant mechanisms contributing to the progression and pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Consequently, extensive research is being conducted on drugs targeting inflammation and immune response. Leflunomide, known for its anti‑inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, is currently used as a disease‑modifying agent for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Pharm Biotechnol
January 2025
Department of Intensive Care Unit, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, 524000 Zhanjiang, China.
Objectives: This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the molecular landscape of gastric cancer (GC) by integrating various bioinformatics tools and experimental validations.
Methodology: GSE79973 dataset, limma package, STRING, UALCAN, GEPIA, OncoDB, cBioPortal, DAVID, TISIDB, Gene Set Cancer Analysis (GSCA), tissue samples, RT-qPCR, and cell proliferation assay were employed in this study.
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Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets
January 2025
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Taizhou First People's Hospital, Huangyan Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China.
Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the role of the microrchidia (MORC) family, a group of chromatin remodeling proteins, as the therapeutic and prognostic markers for colorectal cancer (CRC).
Background: MORC protein family genes are a highly conserved nucleoprotein superfamily whose members share a common domain but have distinct biological functions. Previous studies have analyzed the roles of MORCs as epigenetic regulators and chromatin remodulators; however, the involvement of MORCs in the development and pathogenesis of CRC was less examined.
Bioact Mater
April 2025
Research Center for Computer-aided Drug Discovery, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
The aberrant activation of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been identified as a significant contributor to the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA), exacerbating OA symptoms and driving OA progression. Despite its potential as a therapeutic target, clinical translation is impeded by the lack of a targeting delivery system and effective drug candidate that can modulate steady-state protein levels of β-catenin at post-translational level. Our study addresses these challenges by offering a new approach for OA treatment.
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