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Grape Polyphenols Inhibit Chronic Ethanol‐Induced COX‐2 mRNA Expression in Rat Brain
Author(s) -
Simonyi Agnes,
Woods Danielle,
Sun Albert Y.,
Sun Grace Y.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2002.tb02545.x
Subject(s) - oxidative stress , chemistry , arachidonic acid , endocrinology , ethanol , hippocampus , pharmacology , in situ hybridization , medicine , neuroprotection , phospholipase a2 , biochemistry , biology , messenger rna , enzyme , gene
Background: Chronic ethanol has been shown to increase oxidative stress leading to neurodegenerative changes in the brain. Oxidative stress may up‐regulate extracellular signal regulated kinases (ERK1/2) and, subsequently, the arachidonic acid cascade mediated by phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and cyclooxygenase (COX‐2). Our earlier study showed that grape polyphenols (GP) could ameliorate oxidative damage to synaptic membrane proteins due to chronic ethanol treatment. This study was aimed at examining the effects of GP on mRNA expression of ERK1/2, cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2), and COX‐2 in different brain regions after chronic ethanol treatment. Methods: Male Sprague‐Dawley rats were fed a Lieber‐DeCarli liquid diet with ethanol or isocaloric amount of maltose, with or without GP for 2 months. In situ hybridization was carried out using coronal brain sections through the hippocampus. Results: Quantitative in situ hybridization showed no changes in ERK1 and cPLA2 mRNA levels in cortical areas and hippocampus after ethanol and/or GP administration. However, a decrease in ERK2 and an increase in COX‐2 mRNA level was found in the hippocampus of ethanol‐treated animals. GP completely inhibited the increase in COX‐2 due to ethanol treatment. Conclusion: Increase in COX‐2 expression may be an underlying mechanism for the increase in oxidative stress induced by chronic ethanol administration. Dietary supplementation of GP may have a beneficial role in inhibiting certain alcohol effects.