Striatal H3K27 Acetylation Linked to Glutamatergic Gene Dysregulation in Human Heroin Abusers Holds Promise as Therapeutic Target.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Opiate abuse and overdose reached epidemic levels in the United States. However, despite significant advances in animal and in vitro models, little knowledge has been directly accrued regarding the neurobiology of the opiate-addicted human brain.

Methods

We used postmortem human brain specimens from a homogeneous European Caucasian population of heroin users for transcriptional and epigenetic profiling, as well as direct assessment of chromatin accessibility in the striatum, a brain region central to reward and emotion. A rat heroin self-administration model was used to obtain translational molecular and behavioral insights.

Results

Our transcriptome approach revealed marked impairments related to glutamatergic neurotransmission and chromatin remodeling in

SUBMITTER: Egervari G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5346335 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature