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Chronic ethanol consumption impairs the circadian rhythm of pro‐opiomelanocortin and period genes mRNA expression in the hypothalamus of the male rat
Author(s) -
Chen Cui Ping,
Kuhn Peter,
Advis Juan P.,
Sarkar Dipak K.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2003.02300.x
Subject(s) - circadian rhythm , suprachiasmatic nucleus , endocrinology , period (music) , medicine , hypothalamus , clock , light effects on circadian rhythm , arcuate nucleus , biology , circadian clock , physics , acoustics
Certain psychiatric disorders are known to alter the body's biological rhythms. However, currently, very little information is known about the effect of chronic ethanol administration on the circadian clock or the rhythm of β‐endorphin‐containing neurons that participate in the control of the reward and reinforcement of alcohol drinking. Here, we report that administration of ethanol, via a liquid diet paradigm for a period of 2 weeks, abolishes the circadian rhythm of pro‐opiomelanocortin mRNA expression of β‐endorphin neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. The circadian expression of the clock governing rat period genes ( rPeriod1 mRNA and rPeriod2 mRNA) in the arcuate nucleus was significantly altered, suggesting that ethanol administration disrupted the internal clock. Moreover, ethanol consumption altered the circadian rhythms of rPeriod2 and rPeriod3 mRNA levels in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, suggesting that ethanol also affected the function of the central pacemaker. Our findings identified the vulnerability of the body's clock machinery and its opioidergic system to chronic alcohol drinking.