A molecular profile of cocaine abuse includes the differential expression of genes that regulate transcription, chromatin, and dopamine cell phenotype.

ABSTRACT: Chronic drug abuse, craving, and relapse are thought to be linked to long-lasting changes in neural gene expression arising through transcriptional and chromatin-related mechanisms. The key contributions of midbrain dopamine (DA)-synthesizing neurons throughout the addiction process provide a compelling rationale for determining the drug-induced molecular changes that occur in these cells. Yet our understanding of these processes remains rudimentary. The postmortem human brain constitutes a unique resource that can be exploited to gain insights into the pathophysiology of complex disorders such as drug addiction. In this study, we analyzed the profiles of midbrain gene expression in chronic cocaine abusers and well-matched drug-free control subjects using microarray and quantitative PCR. A

SUBMITTER: Bannon MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4104338 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature