1 4398 138 MODULATION OF DNA METHYLTRANSFERASE PROFILE BY METHYL DONOR STARVATION FOLLOWED BY GAMMA IRRADIATION. DNA METHYLATION IS AN IMPORTANT EPIGENETIC MECHANISM OF TRANSCRIPTIONAL CONTROL, WHICH PLAYS AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN MAINTAINING CELLULAR FUNCTION. ROLE OF ONE-CARBON TRANSFER AGENTS/METHYL DONORS NAMELY FOLATE, CHOLINE AND METHIONINE IN DNA METHYLATION HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION. THE METHYLATION PATTERN OF DNA IS ESTABLISHED DURING EMBRYOGENESIS BY DNA METHYLTRANSFERASE 3 (DNMT3) AND IS SUBSEQUENTLY MAINTAINED BY MAINTENANCE METHYLATION ACTIVITY OF THE ENZYME DNA METHYLTRANSFERASE 1 (DNMT1). IONIZING RADIATION IS KNOWN TO EXTENSIVELY DAMAGE THE DNA. SUFFICIENT DIETARY AVAILABILITY OF METHYL DONORS IS KNOWN TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS ONE-CARBON TRANSFER MEDIATED REPAIR OF DAMAGED DNA WHERE FOLATE IS INVOLVED IN NUCLEOTIDE BASE SYNTHESIS. IN THE PRESENT STUDY, MODIFICATION IN ACTIVITIES OF DNMT1 AND DNMT3 BY METHYL DONOR STARVATION FOLLOWED BY GAMMA-IRRADIATION WAS OBSERVED. ASSAYS WERE BASED ON THE CATALYTIC TRANSFER OF (3)H-METHYL GROUPS FROM S-ADENOSYL-L: -METHIONINE TO A DNA SUBSTRATE. EXPERIMENTS SHOWED A DOSE AND METHYL DONORS STARVATION DEPENDENT ATTENUATION IN DNMT1 ACTIVITY. ATTENUATION OF DNMT1 ACTIVITY WAS MOST SIGNIFICANT FOR DIET DEPRIVED OF ALL THE THREE-METHYL DONORS. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN NUCLEAR OR CYTOPLASMIC DNMT3 ACTIVITY WAS OBSERVED WHEN EITHER OR ALL THE THREE POSSIBLE SOURCE OF DIETARY METHYL GROUP SUPPLY WERE REMOVED. IONIZING RADIATION AND METHYL DONOR DEFICIENCY WERE OBSERVED TO ACT SYNERGISTICALLY TOWARDS INHIBITING DNMT1 ACTIVITY. PRESENT RESULTS SUGGESTED POSSIBILITY OF INTERACTION AMONG FOLATE, METHIONINE AND CHOLINE DEFICIENCY TO POTENTIATE SYMPTOMS OF IONIZING RADIATION STRESS. THESE ENZYMATIC MODIFICATIONS MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO ALTERED DNA METHYLATION AFTER CHRONIC FEEDING OF METHYL DONOR FREE DIETS FOLLOWED BY GAMMA IRRADIATION. THESE RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT DIETARY AVAILABILITY OF METHYL DONORS AND GAMMA-RADIATION STRESS MIGHT SIGNIFICANTLY ALTER THE DNMT1 PROFILE. 2007 2 1833 29 EFFECTS OF METHYL DONOR DIETS ON INCISIONAL PAIN IN MICE. BACKGROUND: DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION WITH METHYL DONORS CAN INFLUENCE THE PROGRAMMING OF EPIGENETIC PATTERNS RESULTING IN PERSISTENT ALTERATIONS IN DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY AND BEHAVIOR. HOWEVER, THE DIETARY EFFECTS OF METHYL DONORS ON PAIN HAVE NOT BEEN EXPLORED. IN THIS STUDY, WE EVALUATED THE EFFECTS OF DIETARY METHYL DONOR CONTENT ON PAIN RESPONSES IN MICE. METHODS: MALE AND FEMALE C57BL/6J MICE WERE TREATED WITH HIGH OR LOW METHYL DONOR DIETS EITHER IN THE PERINATAL PERIOD OR AFTER WEANING. MECHANICAL AND THERMAL NOCICEPTIVE SENSITIVITY WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER INCISION. RESULTS: MICE FED HIGH OR LOW METHYL DONOR DIETS DISPLAYED EQUAL WEIGHT GAIN OVER THE COURSE OF THE EXPERIMENTS. WHEN EXPOSED TO THESE DIETARY MANIPULATIONS IN THE PERINATAL PERIOD, ONLY MALE OFFSPRING OF DAMS FED A HIGH METHYL DONOR DIET DISPLAYED INCREASED MECHANICAL ALLODYNIA. HINDPAW INCISION IN THESE ANIMALS CAUSED ENHANCED NOCICEPTIVE SENSITIZATION, BUT DIETARY HISTORY DID NOT AFFECT THE DURATION OF SENSITIZATION. FOR MICE EXPOSED TO HIGH OR LOW METHYL DONOR DIETS AFTER WEANING, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED IN MECHANICAL OR THERMAL NOCICEPTIVE SENSITIVITY EITHER AT BASELINE OR IN RESPONSE TO HINDPAW INCISION. CONCLUSIONS: PERINATAL DIETARY FACTORS SUCH AS METHYL DONOR CONTENT MAY IMPACT PAIN EXPERIENCES IN LATER LIFE. THESE EFFECTS, HOWEVER, MAY BE SPECIFIC TO SEX AND PAIN MODALITY. 2013 3 1781 33 EFFECT OF 1 YEAR B AND D VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTATION ON LINE-1 REPETITIVE ELEMENT METHYLATION IN OLDER SUBJECTS. BACKGROUND: DISTURBED DNA METHYLATION IS CAUSALLY RELATED TO CHRONIC DISEASES LIKE CANCER AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS. B VITAMINS ARE COFACTORS REQUIRED FOR METHYL GROUP SYNTHESIS AND MAY THEREFORE AFFECT DNA METHYLATION. VITAMIN D HAS EPIGENETIC EFFECTS. WE TESTED IF B AND D VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTATION HAS AN EFFECT ON GENOMIC LONG INTERSPERSED NUCLEAR ELEMENT-1 (LINE-1) METHYLATION AND THE METABOLITES S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE (SAM) AND S-ADENOSYLHOMOCYSTEINE (SAH). METHODS: FIFTY SUBJECTS (MEDIAN AGE 68.0 YEARS) WERE SUPPLEMENTED WITH A DAILY ORAL DOSE OF B VITAMINS (500 MICROG FOLIC ACID, 500 MICROG VITAMIN B12 AND 50 MG VITAMIN B6), 1200 IU VITAMIN D AND 456 MG CALCIUM. FASTING BLOOD SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER 1 YEAR OF SUPPLEMENTATION. LINE-1 METHYLATION WAS DETERMINED IN GENOMIC DNA FROM BLOOD CELLS AS A SURROGATE FOR WHOLE GENOME METHYLATION. IN ADDITION, SAM, SAH AND TOTAL HOMOCYSTEINE (THCY) WERE MEASURED IN PLASMA SAMPLES. RESULTS: PLASMA HOMOCYSTEINE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER SUPPLEMENTATION (12.8 VS. 9.1 MICROMOL/L; P<0.05), WHEREAS SAM, SAH, THE SAM/SAH RATIO AND LINE-1 METHYLATION DID NOT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY. LINE-1 METHYLATION WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH SAH, HOMOCYSTEINE OR B VITAMINS. CONCLUSIONS: LONG-TERM VITAMIN B SUPPLEMENTATION HAD NO EFFECT ON LINE-1 METHYLATION IN BLOOD CELLS NOR ON PLASMA LEVELS OF SAM AND SAH. VITAMIN B AND D SUPPLEMENTATION SEEMS TO HAVE NO EFFECT ON DNA METHYLATION, ESPECIALLY IN CASES WHERE NO SEVERE DEFICIENCY EXISTS. 2013 4 5283 27 PROPHYLACTIC OR PREEMPTIVE LOW-DOSE AZACITIDINE AND DONOR LYMPHOCYTE INFUSION TO PREVENT DISEASE RELAPSE FOLLOWING ALLOGENEIC TRANSPLANTATION IN PATIENTS WITH HIGH-RISK ACUTE MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA OR MYELODYSPLASTIC SYNDROME. BECAUSE OF THE PERSISTENTLY HIGH RATES OF RELAPSE OF PATIENTS WITH HIGH-RISK ACUTE MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA (AML) AND MYELODYSPLASTIC SYNDROME (MDS) FOLLOWING ALLOGENEIC HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION (ALLO-HSCT), POST-TRANSPLANTATION MAINTENANCE THERAPY HAS BEEN PROPOSED. WE PREVIOUSLY INITIATED A PHASE II TRIAL IN WHICH EPIGENETIC THERAPY WAS COMBINED WITH IMMUNOTHERAPY IN AN ATTEMPT TO REDUCE DISEASE RELAPSE. IN THAT STUDY, LOW-DOSE AZACITIDINE (AZA) AND ESCALATING DOSES OF DONOR LYMPHOCYTE INFUSION (DLI) WERE GIVEN AS POST-ALLO-HSCT MAINTENANCE TREATMENT. IN THE PRESENT STUDY, WE RETROSPECTIVELY ANALYZE A LARGER COHORT OF PATIENTS RECEIVING POST-TRANSPLANTATION MAINTENANCE THERAPY AND PROVIDE UPDATES ON SOME PATIENTS OF THE EARLIER STUDY. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PRESENT STUDY WERE TO ANALYZE THE CUMULATIVE INCIDENCE OF RELAPSE (CIR), OVERALL SURVIVAL (OS), AND PROGRESSION-FREE SURVIVAL (PFS) AND THE INCIDENCE OF ACUTE AND CHRONIC GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE (GVHD) OF PATIENTS WITH HIGH-RISK AML OR MDS RECEIVING POST-TRANSPLANTATION MAINTENANCE TREATMENT WITH AZA WITH OR WITHOUT DLI. WE RETROSPECTIVELY ANALYZED 77 PATIENTS (54 WITH AML, 23 WITH MDS) CONSIDERED AT HIGH RISK BASED ON EITHER THEIR GENOMIC OR CLINICAL STATUS AT TRANSPLANTATION. FOLLOWING ALLOGENEIC TRANSPLANTATION, THEY RECEIVED AT LEAST 1 CYCLE OF PROPHYLACTIC OR PREEMPTIVE LOW-DOSE AZA WITH OR WITHOUT ESCALATING DOSES OF DLI TO PREVENT DISEASE RELAPSE. ALMOST ONE-HALF OF THE PATIENTS (47%) WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE FULL 12 CYCLES OF SCHEDULED AZA, AND A MAJORITY (79%) RECEIVED AT LEAST 1 DLI. WITH A MEDIAN FOLLOW-UP OF 24 MONTHS, 19 PATIENTS (25%; 16 WITH AML, 3 WITH MDS) RELAPSED, AT A MEDIAN OF 9.8 MONTHS (RANGE, 4 TO 58.6 MONTHS), GIVING A 22% CIR AT 24 MONTHS. OS AND PFS AT 24 MONTHS WERE 70.8% AND 68.3%, RESPECTIVELY. THE CUMULATIVE INCIDENCES OF GRADE II-IV ACUTE GVHD AND CHRONIC GVHD WERE 27.4% AND 45%, RESPECTIVELY. ONLY A MINORITY OF PATIENTS (11%) REQUIRED DELAYED ADMINISTRATION OF AZA. THESE FINDINGS CONFIRM THAT AZA-DLI MAINTENANCE IS BOTH TOLERABLE AND EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING THE RISK OF POST-TRANSPLANTATION RELAPSE. 2021 5 5609 33 S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE DECREASES THE PEAK BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS 3 H AFTER AN ACUTE BOLUS OF ETHANOL BY INDUCING ALCOHOL METABOLIZING ENZYMES IN THE LIVER. INTRODUCTION: AN ALCOHOL BOLUS CAUSES THE BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL (BAL) TO PEAK AT 1-2 H POST INGESTION. THE ETHANOL ELIMINATION RATE IS REGULATED BY ALCOHOL METABOLIZING ENZYMES, PRIMARILY ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE (ADH1), ACETALDEHYDE DEHYDROGENASE (ALDH), AND CYTOCHROME P450 (CYP2E1). RECENTLY, S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE (SAME) WAS FOUND TO REDUCE ACUTE BALS 3 H AFTER AN ALCOHOL BOLUS. THE QUESTION, THEN, WAS: WHAT IS THE MECHANISM INVOLVED IN THIS REDUCTION OF BAL BY FEEDING SAME? TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION, WE INVESTIGATED THE CHANGES IN ETHANOL METABOLIZING ENZYMES AND THE EPIGENETIC CHANGES THAT REGULATE THE EXPRESSION OF THESE ENZYMES DURING ACUTE BINGE DRINKING AND CHRONIC DRINKING. METHODS: RATS WERE FED A BOLUS OF ETHANOL WITH OR WITHOUT SAME, AND WERE SACRIFICED AT 3 H OR 12 H AFTER THE BOLUS. RESULTS: RT-PCR AND WESTERN BLOT ANALYSES SHOWED THAT SAME SIGNIFICANTLY INDUCED ADH1 LEVELS IN THE 3 H LIVER SAMPLES. HOWEVER, SAME DID NOT AFFECT THE CHANGES IN ADH1 PROTEIN LEVELS 12 H POST BOLUS. SINCE SAME IS A METHYL DONOR, IT WAS POSTULATED THAT THE ADH1 GENE EXPRESSION UP REGULATION AT 3 H WAS DUE TO A HISTONE MODIFICATION INDUCED BY METHYLATION FROM METHYL TRANSFERASES. DIMETHYLATED HISTONE 3 LYSINE 4 (H3K4ME2), A MODIFICATION RESPONSIBLE FOR GENE EXPRESSION ACTIVATION, WAS FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED BY SAME AT 3 H POST BOLUS. CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS CORRELATED WITH THE LOW BAL FOUND AT 3 H POST BOLUS, AND SUPPORT THE CONCEPT THAT SAME INCREASED THE GENE EXPRESSION TO INCREASE THE ELIMINATION RATE OF ETHANOL IN BINGE DRINKING BY INCREASING H3K4ME2. 2010 6 6445 32 THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF THE METHYL DONOR S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE ON NERVE INJURY-INDUCED MECHANICAL HYPERSENSITIVITY AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN MICE. DESPITE CONSIDERABLE ADVANCES IN UNDERSTANDING MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN CHRONIC PAIN, EFFECTIVE TREATMENT REMAINS ELUSIVE. COMORBID CONDITIONS INCLUDING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT FURTHER IMPACT QUALITY OF LIFE. CHRONIC PAIN IS ASSOCIATED WITH REVERSIBLE CHANGES IN BRAIN ANATOMY AND FUNCTION AND WITH LONG-TERM CHANGES IN GENE EXPRESSION. EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS, INCLUDING DNA METHYLATION, CONTRIBUTE TO WIDE-SPREAD AND LONG-LASTING REPROGRAMMING OF GENE EXPRESSION. WE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED DECREASES IN GLOBAL DNA METHYLATION IN THE MOUSE FRONTAL CORTEX 6 MONTHS AFTER INDUCTION OF NEUROPATHIC PAIN USING THE SPARED NERVE INJURY (SNI) MODEL. HERE, WE EXAMINED THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF INCREASING DNA METHYLATION USING THE METHYL DONOR S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE (SAM). S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE IS MARKETED AS A NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT FOR A RANGE OF CONDITIONS INCLUDING LIVER DISEASE, DEPRESSION, OSTEOARTHRITIS, FIBROMYALGIA, AND DEMENTIA. THREE MONTHS AFTER SNI OR SHAM SURGERY, ANIMALS WERE TREATED WITH SAM (20 MG/KG, 3X/WEEK) OR SALINE ORALLY FOR 4 MONTHS, AND THE IMPACT ON SENSORY, MOTOR, MOTIVATIONAL, AND COGNITIVE INDICES WAS MEASURED. S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE ATTENUATED SNI-INDUCED MECHANICAL HYPERSENSITIVITY AND REDUCED ACTIVE AVOIDANCE OF MECHANICAL STIMULI BUT HAD NO EFFECT ON COLD SENSITIVITY OR MOTOR CAPACITY. S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE COMPLETELY BLOCKED NERVE INJURY-INDUCED COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AND ATTENUATED SNI-INDUCED DECREASES IN GLOBAL DNA METHYLATION IN THE FRONTAL CORTEX. IN SUMMARY, CHRONIC ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE METHYL DONOR, SAM, ATTENUATED SENSORY AND COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH NERVE INJURY IN MICE. THESE EFFECTS MAY BE MEDIATED, IN PART, THROUGH MODULATION OF DNA METHYLATION IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM BY SYSTEMIC ADMINISTRATION OF THE METHYL DONOR SAM. 2017 7 872 36 CHRONIC ALCOHOL EXPOSURE DIFFERENTIALLY ALTERS ONE-CARBON METABOLISM IN RAT LIVER AND BRAIN. BACKGROUND: EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS SUCH AS DNA METHYLATION PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN REGULATING THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF ALCOHOLISM. CHRONIC ALCOHOL EXPOSURE LEADS TO BEHAVIORAL CHANGES AS WELL AS DECREASED EXPRESSION OF GENES ASSOCIATED WITH SYNAPTIC PLASTICITY. IN THE LIVER, IT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED THAT CHRONIC ALCOHOL EXPOSURE IMPAIRS METHIONINE SYNTHASE (MS) ACTIVITY LEADING TO A DECREASE IN S-ADENOSYL METHIONINE/S-ADENOSYL HOMOCYSTEINE (SAM/SAH) RATIO WHICH RESULTS IN DNA HYPOMETHYLATION; HOWEVER, IT IS NOT KNOWN WHETHER SIMILAR ALTERATIONS OF SAM AND SAH LEVELS ARE ALSO PRODUCED IN BRAIN. METHODS: MALE ADULT SPRAGUE DAWLEY RATS WERE FED CHRONICALLY WITH LIEBER-DECARLI ETHANOL (ETOH) (9% V/V) OR CONTROL DIET. THE ETOH-DIET-FED RATS WERE WITHDRAWN FOR 0 AND 24 HOURS. THE CEREBELLUM AND LIVER TISSUES WERE DISSECTED AND USED TO INVESTIGATE CHANGES IN ONE-CARBON METABOLISM, SAM, AND SAH LEVELS. RESULTS: WE FOUND THAT CHRONIC ETOH EXPOSURE DECREASED SAM LEVELS, SAM/SAH RATIO, MS, METHYLENE TETRAHYDROFOLATE REDUCTASE, AND BETAINE HOMOCYSTEINE METHYLTRANSFERASE (BHMT) EXPRESSION AND INCREASED METHIONINE ADENOSYLTRANSFERASE-2B (MAT2B) BUT NOT MAT2A EXPRESSION IN THE LIVER. IN CONTRAST, CHRONIC ETOH EXPOSURE DECREASED SAH LEVELS, INCREASED SAM/SAH RATIO AND THE EXPRESSION OF MAT2A AND S-ADENOSYL HOMOCYSTEINE HYDROLASE, WHILE THE LEVELS OF SAM OR BHMT EXPRESSION IN CEREBELLUM REMAINED UNALTERED. HOWEVER, IN BOTH LIVER AND CEREBELLUM, CHRONIC ETOH EXPOSURE DECREASED THE EXPRESSION OF MS AND INCREASED MAT2B EXPRESSION. ALL CHRONIC ETOH-INDUCED CHANGES OF ONE-CARBON METABOLISM IN CEREBELLUM, BUT NOT LIVER, RETURNED TO NEAR-NORMAL LEVELS DURING ETOH WITHDRAWAL. CONCLUSIONS: THESE RESULTS INDICATE A DECREASED "METHYLATION INDEX" IN LIVER AND AN INCREASED "METHYLATION INDEX" IN CEREBELLUM. THE OPPOSING CHANGES OF THE "METHYLATION INDEX" SUGGEST ALTERED DNA METHYLATION IN LIVER AND CEREBELLUM, THUS IMPLICATING ONE-CARBON METABOLISM IN THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF ALCOHOLISM. 2017 8 3178 24 HAEMATOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES WITH UNFAVOURABLE GENE MUTATIONS BENEFIT FROM DONOR LYMPHOCYTE INFUSION WITH/WITHOUT DECITABINE FOR PROPHYLAXIS OF RELAPSE AFTER ALLOGENEIC HSCT: A PILOT STUDY. RELAPSE IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF TREATMENT FAILURE FOR LEUKAEMIA PATIENTS WITH UNFAVOURABLE GENE MUTATIONS WHO RECEIVE ALLOGENEIC HAEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION (ALLO-HSCT). THERE IS NO CONSENSUS ON THE INDICATION OF DONOR LYMPHOCYTE INFUSION (DLI) FOR PROPHYLAXIS OF RELAPSE AFTER ALLO-HSCT. TO EVALUATE THE TOLERANCE AND EFFICACY OF PROPHYLACTIC DLI IN PATIENTS WITH UNFAVOURABLE GENE MUTATIONS SUCH AS FLT3-ITD, TP53, ASXL1, DNMT3A OR TET2, WE PERFORMED A PROSPECTIVE, SINGLE-ARM STUDY. PROPHYLACTIC USE OF DECITABINE FOLLOWED BY DLI WAS PLANNED IN PATIENTS WITH TP53 OR EPIGENETIC MODIFIER GENE MUTATIONS. THE PROPHYLAXIS WAS PLANNED IN 46 RECIPIENTS: IT WAS ADMINISTERED IN 28 PATIENTS AND IT WAS NOT ADMINISTERED IN 18 PATIENTS DUE TO CONTRAINDICATIONS. NO DLI-ASSOCIATED PANCYTOPENIA WAS OBSERVED. THE CUMULATIVE INCIDENCES OF GRADE II-IV AND III-IV ACUTE GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE (GVHD) AT 100 DAYS POST-DLI WERE 25.8% AND 11.0%, RESPECTIVELY. THE RATES OF CHRONIC GVHD, NON-RELAPSE MORTALITY AND RELAPSE AT 3 YEARS POST-DLI WERE 21.6%, 25.0% AND 26.1%, RESPECTIVELY. THE 3-YEAR RELAPSE-FREE SURVIVAL AND OVERALL SURVIVAL (OS) RATES WERE 48.9% AND 48.2%, RESPECTIVELY. ACUTE GVHD (HR: 2.30, P = 0.016) AND RELAPSE (HR: 2.46, P = 0.003) AFTER DLI WERE INDEPENDENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH INFERIOR OS. DATA IN THE CURRENT STUDY SHOWED THE FEASIBILITY OF PROPHYLACTIC DLI WITH/WITHOUT DECITABINE IN THE EARLY STAGE AFTER ALLO-HSCT IN PATIENTS WITH UNFAVOURABLE GENE MUTATIONS. 2021 9 6246 35 THE METHYL DONOR S-ADENOSYL METHIONINE REVERSES THE DNA METHYLATION SIGNATURE OF CHRONIC NEUROPATHIC PAIN IN MOUSE FRONTAL CORTEX. CHRONIC PAIN IS ASSOCIATED WITH PERSISTENT BUT REVERSIBLE STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES IN THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX (PFC). THIS STABLE YET MALLEABLE PLASTICITY IMPLICATES EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS, INCLUDING DNA METHYLATION, AS A POTENTIAL MEDIATOR OF CHRONIC PAIN-INDUCED CORTICAL PATHOLOGY. WE PREVIOUSLY DEMONSTRATED THAT CHRONIC ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE METHYL DONOR S-ADENOSYL METHIONINE (SAM) ATTENUATES LONG-TERM PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHIC PAIN AND ALTERS GLOBAL FRONTAL CORTICAL DNA METHYLATION. HOWEVER, THE SPECIFIC GENES AND PATHWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RESOLUTION OF CHRONIC PAIN BY SAM REMAIN UNEXPLORED. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF LONG-TERM THERAPEUTIC EXPOSURE TO SAM ON THE DNA METHYLATION OF INDIVIDUAL GENES AND PATHWAYS IN A MOUSE NEUROPATHIC PAIN MODEL. METHODS: MALE CD-1 MICE RECEIVED SPARED NERVE INJURY OR SHAM SURGERY. THREE MONTHS AFTER INJURY, ANIMALS RECEIVED SAM (20 MG/KG, ORAL, 3X A WEEK) OR VEHICLE FOR 16 WEEKS FOLLOWED BY EPIGENOME-WIDE ANALYSIS OF FRONTAL CORTEX. RESULTS: PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHIC PAIN WAS ASSOCIATED WITH 4000 DIFFERENTIALLY METHYLATED GENOMIC REGIONS THAT WERE ENRICHED IN INTRACELLULAR SIGNALING, CELL MOTILITY AND MIGRATION, CYTOSKELETAL STRUCTURE, AND CELL ADHESION PATHWAYS. A THIRD OF THESE DIFFERENTIALLY METHYLATED REGIONS WERE REVERSED BY SAM TREATMENT (1415 REGIONS REPRESENTING 1013 GENES). MORE THAN 100 GENES WITH KNOWN PAIN-RELATED FUNCTION WERE DIFFERENTIALLY METHYLATED AFTER NERVE INJURY; 29 OF THESE WERE REVERSED BY SAM TREATMENT INCLUDING SCN10A, TRPA1, NTRK1, AND GFAP. CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST A ROLE FOR THE EPIGENOME IN THE MAINTENANCE OF CHRONIC PAIN AND ADVANCE EPIGENETIC MODULATORS SUCH AS SAM AS A NOVEL APPROACH TO TREAT CHRONIC PAIN. 2021 10 4214 44 METHIONINE METABOLISM IN YUCATAN MINIATURE SWINE. METHIONINE IS AN ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID WHICH WHEN NOT INCORPORATED INTO PROTEIN, CAN BE CONVERTED TO S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE, THE UNIVERSAL METHYL DONOR IN OVER 200 TRANSMETHYLATION REACTIONS, WHICH INCLUDE CREATINE AND PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE (PC) SYNTHESIS, AS WELL AS DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID (DNA) METHYLATION. FOLLOWING TRANSMETHYLATION, HOMOCYSTEINE IS FORMED, WHICH CAN BE CONVERTED TO CYSTEINE VIA TRANSSULFURATION OR REMETHYLATED TO METHIONINE BY RECEIVING A METHYL GROUP FROM FOLATE OR BETAINE. CHANGES TO METHYL GROUP AVAILABILITY IN UTERO CAN LEAD TO PERMANENT CHANGES IN EPIGENETIC PATTERNS OF DNA METHYLATION, WHICH HAS BEEN IMPLICATED IN "FETAL PROGRAMMING", A PHENOMENON ASSOCIATED WITH POOR NUTRITION DURING FETAL DEVELOPMENT THAT RESULTS IN LOW BIRTH WEIGHT AND DISEASE IN LATER LIFE. IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT PROGRAMMING CAN ALSO OCCUR IN THE NEONATE. OUR GLOBAL OBJECTIVE WAS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE VARIABILITY OF NUTRIENTS INVOLVED IN METHIONINE METABOLISM CAN AFFECT METHIONINE AND METHYL GROUP AVAILABILITY. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT NUTRIENTS THAT CONVERGE ON METHIONINE METABOLISM CAN AFFECT METHIONINE AVAILABILITY FOR ITS VARIOUS FUNCTIONS. IN THIS THESIS, WE USED INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RESTRICTED (IUGR) PIGLETS TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER A GLOBAL NUTRITIONAL INSULT IN UTERO CAN LEAD TO A PERTURBED METHIONINE METABOLISM. OUR RESULTS DEMONSTRATE THAT IUGR PIGLETS HAVE A LOWER CAPACITY TO DISPOSE OF HOMOCYSTEINE VIA BOTH TRANSSULFURATION AND REMETHYLATION PATHWAYS, AS WELL AS A LOWER INCORPORATION OF METHYL GROUPS INTO PC. THE SECOND OBJECTIVE OF THIS THESIS WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER VARIATION IN METHIONINE SUPPLY AND DEMAND CAN AFFECT METHIONINE AVAILABILITY. WE DEMONSTRATED THAT STIMULATING EITHER ACUTE OR CHRONIC CREATINE SYNTHESIS LEADS TO LOWER METHYL INCORPORATION INTO PROTEIN AND PC IN PIGS. FURTHERMORE, WHEN METHIONINE IS LIMITING, SUPPLEMENTATION WITH EITHER FOLATE OR BETAINE LEADS TO HIGHER METHIONINE AVAILABILITY FOR PROTEIN SYNTHESIS. FINALLY, BECAUSE CREATINE IS INCREASINGLY BEING UTILIZED AS AN ERGOGENIC AND NEUROPROTECTIVE SUPPLEMENT, WE WANTED TO DETERMINE WHETHER PROVISION OF THE CREATINE PRECURSOR, GUANIDINOACETATE (GAA), COULD EFFECTIVELY INCREASE TISSUE CREATINE STORES. WE SHOWED THAT 2.5 WEEKS OF SUPPLEMENTATION WITH GAA IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN CREATINE AT INCREASING HEPATIC AND MUSCLE CREATINE STORES. THE RESULTS OF THIS THESIS DEMONSTRATE THAT THE PRESENCE OF IUGR, AN INCREASED DEMAND FOR CREATINE SYNTHESIS, OR THE SUPPLEMENTATION WITH REMETHYLATION NUTRIENTS CAN EACH AFFECT METHIONINE AVAILABILITY; ALL ARE IMPORTANT WHEN CONSIDERING NEONATAL NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS. FURTHERMORE, ALTHOUGH GAA IS EFFECTIVE AT INCREASING LEVELS OF TISSUE CREATINE, HIGHER GAA METHYLATION CAN LIMIT METHIONINE AVAILABILITY FOR GROWTH AND SYNTHESIS OF PC. 2016 11 558 32 B-VITAMIN DEPENDENT METHIONINE METABOLISM AND ALCOHOLIC LIVER DISEASE. CONVINCING EVIDENCE LINKS ABERRANT B-VITAMIN DEPENDENT HEPATIC METHIONINE METABOLISM TO THE PATHOGENESIS OF ALCOHOLIC LIVER DISEASE (ALD). THIS REVIEW FOCUSES ON THE ESSENTIAL ROLES OF FOLATE AND VITAMINS B6 AND B12 IN HEPATIC METHIONINE METABOLISM, THE CAUSES OF THEIR DEFICIENCIES AMONG CHRONIC ALCOHOLIC PERSONS, AND HOW THEIR DEFICIENCIES TOGETHER WITH CHRONIC ALCOHOL EXPOSURE IMPACT ON ABERRANT METHIONINE METABOLISM IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF ALD. FOLATE IS THE DIETARY TRANSMETHYLATION DONOR FOR THE PRODUCTION OF S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE (SAM), WHICH IS THE SUBSTRATE FOR ALL METHYLTRANSFERASES THAT REGULATE GENE EXPRESSIONS IN PATHWAYS OF LIVER INJURY, AS WELL AS A REGULATOR OF THE TRANSSULFURATION PATHWAY THAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR PRODUCTION OF GLUTATHIONE (GSH), THE PRINCIPAL ANTIOXIDANT FOR DEFENSE AGAINST OXIDATIVE LIVER INJURY. VITAMIN B12 REGULATES TRANSMETHYLATION REACTIONS FOR SAM PRODUCTION AND VITAMIN B6 REGULATES TRANSSULFURATION REACTIONS FOR GSH PRODUCTION. FOLATE DEFICIENCY ACCELERATES THE EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF ALD IN ETHANOL-FED ANIMALS WHILE REDUCING LIVER SAM LEVELS WITH RESULTANT ABNORMAL GENE EXPRESSION AND DECREASED PRODUCTION OF ANTIOXIDANT GSH. THROUGH ITS EFFECTS ON FOLATE METABOLISM, REDUCED SAM ALSO IMPAIRS NUCLEOTIDE BALANCE WITH RESULTANT INCREASED DNA STRAND BREAKS, OXIDATION, HEPATOCELLULAR APOPTOSIS, AND RISK OF CARCINOGENESIS. THE REVIEW ENCOMPASSES REFERENCED STUDIES ON MECHANISMS FOR PERTURBATIONS OF METHIONINE METABOLISM IN ALD, EVIDENCE FOR ALTERED GENE EXPRESSIONS AND THEIR EPIGENETIC REGULATION IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF ALD, AND CLINICAL STUDIES ON POTENTIAL PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ALD BY CORRECTION OF METHIONINE METABOLISM WITH SAM. 2013 12 2907 38 GENE EXPRESSION MODIFICATIONS IN THE LIVER CAUSED BY BINGE DRINKING AND S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE FEEDING. THE ROLE OF EPIGENETIC CHANGES. CHRONIC ETHANOL INGESTION, ACHIEVED BY FEEDING ETHANOL AT A CONSTANT RATE USING INTRAGASTRIC TUBE FEEDING, ALTERS THE EXPRESSION OF GENES IN THE LIVER. THIS IS DONE BY EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS, WHICH DEPEND ON THE BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS AT THE TIME OF KILLING. HOWEVER, ACUTE BOLUS FEEDING OF ETHANOL CHANGES GENE EXPRESSION WITHOUT LASTING EPIGENETIC CHANGES. THIS OCCURS WITH HISTONE 3 METHYLATION AND ACETYLATION MODIFICATIONS. THE GENE EXPRESSION RESPONSE TO AN ACUTE BOLUS OF ETHANOL MIGHT BE MODIFIED BY FEEDING S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE (SAME), A METHYL DONOR. IN THE PRESENT STUDY, RATS WERE GIVEN A BOLUS OF ETHANOL (6 G/KG BODY WEIGHT (BW), SAME (1 G/KG BW), ETHANOL + SAME, OR ISOCALORIC GLUCOSE. THE GROUP OF RATS (N = 3) WERE KILLED AT 3 AND 12 H POST BOLUS, AND GENE MICROARRAY ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED ON THEIR LIVER CELLS. SAME REDUCED THE 3 H BLOOD ETHANOL LEVELS AND INCREASED THE ALT LEVELS AT 3 H. VENN DIAGRAMS SHOWED THAT ALCOHOL CHANGED THE EXPRESSION OF 646 GENES AT 3 H POST BOLUS AND 586 GENES AT 12 H. SAME CHANGED THE EXPRESSION OF 1,012 GENES WHEN FED WITH ETHANOL 3 H POST ETHANOL BOLUS AND 554 GENES AT 12 H POST ETHANOL BOLUS. SAME ALONE CHANGED THE EXPRESSION OF 1,751 GENES AT 3 H AND 1,398 AT 12 H. THERE WERE MORE CHANGES IN GENE EXPRESSION AT 3 H THAN AT 12 H POST ETHANOL WHEN ETHANOL ALONE WAS COMPARED TO THE DEXTROSE CONTROL. THE SAME WAS TRUE WHEN SAME WAS COMPARED TO SAME + ETHANOL. ETHANOL UP REGULATED GENE EXPRESSION IN MOST FUNCTIONAL PATHWAYS AT 3 H. HOWEVER, WHEN SAME WAS FED WITH ETHANOL AT 3 H, MOST PATHWAYS WERE DOWN REGULATED. AT 12 H, HOWEVER, WHEN ETHANOL WAS FED, THE PATHWAYS WERE HALF UP REGULATED AND HALF DOWN REGULATED. THE SAME WAS TRUE WHEN SAME + ETHANOL WAS FED. THE EXPRESSION OF EPIGENETICALLY IMPORTANT GENES, SUCH AS BHMT AND FOXN3, WAS UP REGULATED 3 H POST ALCOHOL BOLUS. AT 3 H, SAME DOWN REGULATED THE EXPRESSION OF GENES, SUCH AS BHMT, MAT2A, JUN, TNFRS9, AHCY 1, TGFBR1 AND 2, AND PCAF. AT 12 H, THE INSULIN SIGNALING PATHWAYS WERE HALF DOWN REGULATED BY ETHANOL, WHICH WAS PARTLY PREVENTED BY SAME. THE MAPK PATHWAY WAS UP REGULATED BY ETHANOL, BUT SAME DID NOT PREVENT THIS. IN CONCLUSION, PROFOUND CHANGES IN GENE EXPRESSION EVOLVED BETWEEN 3 H AND 12 POST ETHANOL BOLUS. SAME DOWN REGULATED THESE CHANGES IN GENE EXPRESSION AT 3 H, AND LESS SO AT 12 H. 2010 13 2156 35 EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS ARE INVOLVED IN THE REGULATION OF ETHANOL CONSUMPTION IN MICE. BACKGROUND: REPEATED ALCOHOL EXPOSURE IS KNOWN TO INCREASE SUBSEQUENT ETHANOL CONSUMPTION IN MICE. HOWEVER, THE UNDERLYING MECHANISMS HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY ELUCIDATED. ONE POSTULATED MECHANISM INVOLVES EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS, INCLUDING HISTONE MODIFICATIONS AND DNA METHYLATION OF RELEVANT GENES SUCH AS NR2B OR BDNF. METHODS: TO INVESTIGATE THE ROLE OF EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALCOHOL DRINKING BEHAVIOR, AN ESTABLISHED CHRONIC INTERMITTENT ETHANOL EXPOSURE REINFORCED ETHANOL DRINKING MOUSE MODEL WITH VAPOR INHALATION OVER TWO 9-DAY TREATMENT REGIMENS WAS USED. THE DNA METHYLTRANSFERASE INHIBITOR, 5-AZACYTIDINE OR THE HISTONE DEACETYLASE INHIBITOR, TRICHOSTATIN A WAS ADMINISTERED (INTRAPERITONEALLY) TO C57BL/6 MICE 30 MIN BEFORE DAILY EXPOSURE TO CHRONIC INTERMITTENT ETHANOL. CHANGES IN ETHANOL CONSUMPTION WERE MEASURED USING THE 2-BOTTLE CHOICE TEST. RESULTS: THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT SYSTEMIC ADMINISTRATION OF TRICHOSTATIN A (2.5 MICROG/G) FACILITATED CHRONIC INTERMITTENT ETHANOL-INDUCED ETHANOL DRINKING, BUT SYSTEMIC ADMINISTRATION OF 5-AZACYTIDINE (2 MICROG/G) DID NOT CAUSE THE SAME EFFECT. HOWEVER, WHEN 5-AZACYTIDINE WAS ADMINISTERED BY INTRACEREBROVENTRICULAR INJECTION, IT FACILITATED CHRONIC INTERMITTENT ETHANOL-INDUCED ETHANOL DRINKING. FURTHERMORE, THE INCREASED DRINKING CAUSED BY CHRONIC INTERMITTENT ETHANOL WAS PREVENTED BY INJECTION OF A METHYL DONOR, S-ADENOSYL-L-METHIONINE. TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE THAT CHRONIC INTERMITTENT ETHANOL- OR TRICHOSTATIN A-INDUCED DNA DEMETHYLATION AND HISTONE MODIFICATIONS OF THE NR2B PROMOTER MAY UNDERLIE THE ALTERED ETHANOL CONSUMPTION, WE EXAMINED EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS AND NR2B EXPRESSION IN THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX OF THESE MICE. CHRONIC INTERMITTENT ETHANOL OR TRICHOSTATIN A DECREASED DNA METHYLATION AND INCREASED HISTONE ACETYLATION IN THE NR2B GENE PROMOTER, AS WELL AS MRNA LEVELS OF NR2B IN THESE MICE. CONCLUSIONS: TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE RESULTS INDICATE THAT EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS ARE INVOLVED IN REGULATING ETHANOL DRINKING BEHAVIOR, PARTIALLY THROUGH ALTERING NR2B EXPRESSION. 2014 14 3841 32 IRON SUPPLEMENTATION REVERSES THE REDUCTION OF HYDROXYMETHYLCYTOSINE IN HEPATIC DNA ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN RATS. BACKGROUND: ALCOHOL IS KNOWN TO AFFECT TWO EPIGENETIC PHENOMENA, DNA METHYLATION AND DNA HYDROXYMETHYLATION, AND IRON IS A COFACTOR OF TEN-ELEVEN TRANSLOCATION (TET) ENZYMES THAT CATALYZE THE CONVERSION FROM METHYLCYTOSINE TO HYDROXYMETHYLCYTOSINE. IN THE PRESENT STUDY WE AIMED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON DNA HYDROXYMETHYLATION AND FURTHER EFFECTS OF IRON ON ALCOHOL ASSOCIATED EPIGENETIC CHANGES. METHODS: TWENTY-FOUR MALE SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS WERE FED EITHER LIEBER-DECARLI ALCOHOL DIET (36% CALORIES FROM ETHANOL) OR LIEBER-DECARLI CONTROL DIET ALONG WITH OR WITHOUT IRON SUPPLEMENTATION (0.6% CARBONYL IRON) FOR 8 WEEKS. HEPATIC NON-HEME IRON CONCENTRATIONS WERE MEASURED BY COLORIMETRIC ASSAYS. PROTEIN LEVELS OF HEPATIC FERRITIN AND TRANSFERRIN RECEPTOR WERE DETERMINED BY WESTERN BLOTTING. METHYLCYTOSINE, HYDROXYMETHYLCYTOSINE AND UNMODIFIED CYTOSINE IN DNA WERE SIMULTANEOUSLY MEASURED BY LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY/MASS SPECTROMETRY METHOD. RESULTS: IRON SUPPLEMENTATION SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED HEPATIC NON-HEME IRON CONTENTS (P < 0.05) BUT ALCOHOL ALONE DID NOT. HOWEVER, BOTH ALCOHOL AND IRON SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED HEPATIC FERRITIN LEVELS AND DECREASED HEPATIC TRANSFERRIN RECEPTOR LEVELS (P < 0.05). ALCOHOL REDUCED HEPATIC DNA HYDROXYMETHYLATION (0.21% +/- 0.04% VS. 0.33% +/- 0.04%, P = 0.01) COMPARED TO CONTROL, WHILE IRON SUPPLEMENTATION TO ALCOHOL DIET DID NOT CHANGE DNA HYDROXYMETHYLATION. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN METHYLCYTOSINE LEVELS, WHILE UNMODIFIED CYTOSINE LEVELS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED IN ALCOHOL-FED GROUPS COMPARED TO CONTROL (95.61% +/- 0.08% VS. 95.26% +/- 0.12%, P = 0.03), SUGGESTING THAT ALCOHOL FURTHER INCREASES THE CONVERSION FROM HYDROXYMETHYLCYTOSINE TO UNMODIFIED CYTOSINE. CONCLUSIONS: CHRONIC ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ALTERS GLOBAL DNA HYDROXYMETHYLATION IN THE LIVER BUT IRON SUPPLEMENTATION REVERSES THE EPIGENETIC EFFECT OF ALCOHOL. 2016 15 894 34 CHRONIC ETHANOL FEEDING ALTERS HEPATOCYTE MEMORY WHICH IS NOT ALTERED BY ACUTE FEEDING. BACKGROUND: GENE EXPRESSION CHANGES IN THE LIVER AFTER ACUTE BINGE DRINKING MAY DIFFER FROM THE CHANGES SEEN IN CHRONIC ETHANOL FEEDING IN THE RAT. THE CHANGES IN GENE EXPRESSION AFTER CHRONIC ETHANOL FEEDING MAY SENSITIZE THE LIVER TO ALCOHOL-INDUCED LIVER DAMAGE, WHICH IS NOT SEEN AFTER ACUTE BINGE DRINKING. METHODS: TO TEST THIS HYPOTHESIS, GENE MICROARRAY ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED ON THE LIVERS OF RATS (N = 3) FED AN ACUTE BINGE DOSE OF ETHANOL (6 G/KG BODY WT) AND KILLED AT 3 AND 12 HOURS AFTER ETHANOL BY GAVAGE. THE GENE MICROARRAYS WERE COMPARED WITH THOSE MADE ON THE LIVER OF RATS FROM A PREVIOUS STUDY, IN WHICH THE RATS WERE FED ETHANOL BY INTRAGASTRIC TUBE FOR 1 MONTH (36% OF CALORIES DERIVED FROM ETHANOL). RESULTS: MICROARRAY ANALYSIS DATA VARIED BETWEEN THE ACUTE AND CHRONIC MODELS IN SEVERAL IMPORTANT RESPECTS. GROWTH FACTORS INCREASED MAINLY IN THE CHRONIC ALCOHOL FED RAT. CHANGES IN ENZYMES INVOLVED IN OXIDATIVE STRESS WERE NOTED ONLY WITH CHRONIC ETHANOL FEEDING. GENE EXPRESSION OF FAT METABOLISM WAS INCREASED ONLY WITH CHRONIC ETHANOL FEEDING. MOST IMPORTANTLY, EPIGENETIC RELATED ENZYMES AND ACETYLATION AND METHYLATION OF HISTONES CHANGED ONLY AFTER CHRONIC ETHANOL FEEDING. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS SUPPORT THE CONCEPT THAT CHRONIC ETHANOL INGESTION INDUCES ALTERED GENE EXPRESSION AS A RESULT OF CHANGES IN EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS, WHERE ACETYLATION AND METHYLATION OF HISTONES WERE ALTERED. 2009 16 1855 33 ELEVATION IN S-ADENOSYLHOMOCYSTEINE AND DNA HYPOMETHYLATION: POTENTIAL EPIGENETIC MECHANISM FOR HOMOCYSTEINE-RELATED PATHOLOGY. CHRONIC NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES IN FOLATE, CHOLINE, METHIONINE, VITAMIN B-6 AND/OR VITAMIN B-12 CAN PERTURB THE COMPLEX REGULATORY NETWORK THAT MAINTAINS NORMAL ONE-CARBON METABOLISM AND HOMOCYSTEINE HOMEOSTASIS. GENETIC POLYMORPHISMS IN THESE PATHWAYS CAN ACT SYNERGISTICALLY WITH NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES TO ACCELERATE METABOLIC PATHOLOGY ASSOCIATED WITH OCCLUSIVE HEART DISEASE, BIRTH DEFECTS AND DEMENTIA. A MAJOR UNANSWERED QUESTION IS WHETHER HOMOCYSTEINE IS CAUSALLY INVOLVED IN DISEASE PATHOGENESIS OR WHETHER HOMOCYSTEINEMIA IS SIMPLY A PASSIVE AND INDIRECT INDICATOR OF A MORE COMPLEX MECHANISM. S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE AND S-ADENOSYLHOMOCYSTEINE (SAH), AS THE SUBSTRATE AND PRODUCT OF METHYLTRANSFERASE REACTIONS, ARE IMPORTANT METABOLIC INDICATORS OF CELLULAR METHYLATION STATUS. CHRONIC ELEVATION IN HOMOCYSTEINE LEVELS RESULTS IN PARALLEL INCREASES IN INTRACELLULAR SAH AND POTENT PRODUCT INHIBITION OF DNA METHYLTRANSFERASES. SAH-MEDIATED DNA HYPOMETHYLATION AND ASSOCIATED ALTERATIONS IN GENE EXPRESSION AND CHROMATIN STRUCTURE MAY PROVIDE NEW HYPOTHESES FOR PATHOGENESIS OF DISEASES RELATED TO HOMOCYSTEINEMIA. 2002 17 853 31 CHOLINE, OTHER METHYL-DONORS AND EPIGENETICS. CHOLINE DIETARY INTAKE VARIES SUCH THAT MANY PEOPLE DO NOT ACHIEVE ADEQUATE INTAKES. DIET INTAKE OF CHOLINE CAN MODULATE METHYLATION BECAUSE, VIA BETAINE HOMOCYSTEINE METHYLTRANSFERASE (BHMT), THIS NUTRIENT (AND ITS METABOLITE, BETAINE) REGULATE THE CONCENTRATIONS OF S-ADENOSYLHOMOCYSTEINE AND S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE. SOME OF THE EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS THAT MODIFY GENE EXPRESSION WITHOUT MODIFYING THE GENETIC CODE DEPEND ON THE METHYLATION OF DNA OR OF HISTONES; AND DIET AVAILABILITY OF CHOLINE AND OTHER METHYL-GROUP DONORS INFLUENCES BOTH OF THESE METHYLATIONS. EXAMPLES OF METHYL-DONOR MEDIATED EPIGENETIC EFFECTS INCLUDE THE CHANGES IN COAT COLOR AND BODY WEIGHT IN OFFSPRING WHEN PREGNANT AGOUTI MICE ARE FED HIGH CHOLINE, HIGH METHYL DIETS; THE CHANGES IN TAIL KINKING IN OFFSPRING WHEN PREGNANT AXIN(FU) MICE ARE FED HIGH CHOLINE, HIGH METHYL DIETS; THE CHANGES IN CDKN3 METHYLATION AND ALTERED BRAIN DEVELOPMENT THAT OCCURS IN OFFSPRING WHEN PREGNANT RODENTS ARE FED LOW CHOLINE DIETS. WHEN CHOLINE METABOLISM IS DISRUPTED BY DELETING THE GENE BHMT, DNA METHYLATION IS AFFECTED (ESPECIALLY IN A REGION OF CHROMOSOME 13), EXPRESSION OF SPECIFIC GENES IS SUPPRESSED, AND LIVER CANCERS DEVELOP. BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW NUTRIENTS SUCH AS CHOLINE AND METHYL-DONORS INFLUENCE EPIGENETIC PROGRAMS HAS IMPORTANCE FOR OUR UNDERSTANDING OF NOT ONLY DEVELOPMENTAL ABNORMALITIES BUT ALSO FOR UNDERSTANDING THE ORIGINS OF CHRONIC DISEASES. 2017 18 5485 31 REVERSAL OF COCAINE-CONDITIONED PLACE PREFERENCE THROUGH METHYL SUPPLEMENTATION IN MICE: ALTERING GLOBAL DNA METHYLATION IN THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX. ANALYSIS OF GLOBAL METHYLATION IN CELLS HAS REVEALED CORRELATIONS BETWEEN OVERALL DNA METHYLATION STATUS AND SOME BIOLOGICAL STATES. RECENT STUDIES SUGGEST THAT EPIGENETIC REGULATION THROUGH DNA METHYLATION COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR NEUROADAPTATIONS INDUCED BY ADDICTIVE DRUGS. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE GLOBAL DNA METHYLATION STATUS FOLLOWING REPEATED EXPOSURE TO ADDICTIVE DRUGS. USING MICE CONDITIONED PLACE PREFERENCE (CPP) PROCEDURE, WE MEASURED GLOBAL DNA METHYLATION LEVEL IN THE NUCLEUS ACCUMBENS (NAC) AND THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX (PFC) ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG REWARDING EFFECTS. WE FOUND THAT COCAINE-, BUT NOT MORPHINE- OR FOOD-CPP TRAINING DECREASED GLOBAL DNA METHYLATION IN THE PFC. CHRONIC TREATMENT WITH METHIONINE, A METHYL DONOR, FOR 25 CONSECUTIVE DAYS PRIOR TO AND DURING CPP TRAINING INHIBITED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COCAINE, BUT NOT MORPHINE OR FOOD CPP. WE ALSO FOUND THAT BOTH MRNA AND PROTEIN LEVEL OF DNMT (DNA METHYTRANSFERASE) 3B IN THE PFC WERE DOWNREGULATED FOLLOWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COCAINE CPP, AND THE DOWNREGULATION COULD BE REVERSED BY REPEATED ADMINISTRATION OF METHIONINE. OUR STUDY INDICATES A CRUCIAL ROLE OF GLOBAL PFC DNA HYPOMETHYLATION IN THE REWARDING EFFECTS OF COCAINE. REVERSAL OF GLOBAL DNA HYPOMETHYLATION COULD SIGNIFICANTLY ATTENUATE THE REWARDING EFFECTS INDUCED BY COCAINE. OUR RESULTS SUGGEST THAT METHIONINE MAY HAVE BECOME A POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC TARGET TO TREAT COCAINE ADDICTION. 2012 19 4581 27 N-METHYL-D-ASPARTATE 2B RECEPTOR SUBTYPE (NR2B) PROMOTER METHYLATION IN PATIENTS DURING ALCOHOL WITHDRAWAL. NMDA RECEPTORS AND ESPECIALLY THE NR2B RECEPTOR SUBTYPE PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE DURING CHRONIC ETHANOL CONSUMPTION AND ALCOHOL WITHDRAWAL. THEREFORE, THE NR2B RECEPTOR SUBTYPE EXPRESSION IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD CELLS OF 32 MALE PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM ALCOHOL DEPENDENCY WERE ASSESSED THROUGH QUANTITATIVE RT-PCR AND TO EXPLORE REGULATING EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS, A METHYLATION ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED USING BISULFITE SEQUENCING OF A FRAGMENT OF THE NR2B PROMOTER REGION. THE EXPRESSION OF THE NR2B RECEPTOR INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING THE FIRST 24 H OF WITHDRAWAL TREATMENT (DAY 1; T = 4.1, P = 0.001), AND ALSO ON AND DAY 3 (T = 2.4; P = 0.029). THE SEVERITY OF ALCOHOL DRINKING PATTERN, MEASURED BY LIFETIME DRINKING AND DAILY ETHANOL INTAKE, WAS NEGATIVELY CORRELATED WITH THE METHYLATION OF A DEFINED CLUSTER OF FIVE CPG-SITES WITHIN THE NR2B PROMOTER (LIFETIME DRINKING: SPEARMAN'S RHO = -0.55; P = 0.013; DAILY ETHANOL INTAKE: RHO = -0.46; P = 0.043). THESE FINDINGS MIGHT EXPLAIN THE OBSERVATION OF AN IMPACT OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION PATTERNS ON THE GRAVITY OF WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS. 2009 20 4069 33 MATERNAL CHRONIC FOLATE SUPPLEMENTATION AMELIORATES BEHAVIOR DISORDERS INDUCED BY PRENATAL HIGH-FAT DIET THROUGH METHYLATION ALTERATION OF BDNF AND GRIN2B IN OFFSPRING HIPPOCAMPUS. SCOPE: MATERNAL CONSUMPTION OF A HIGH-FAT DIET (HFD) DURING PREGNANCY INCREASES THE RISK OF BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS. FOLATE PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN NEUROPLASTICITY AND THE PRESERVATION OF NEURONAL INTEGRITY. THIS STUDY AIMS AT DETERMINING THE INFLUENCE OF DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH FOLATE ON OFFSPRING BEHAVIOR, AND THE MECHANISMS INVOLVED. METHODS AND RESULTS: FEMALE MICE WERE FED A CONTROL DIET, AN HFD, CONTROL DIET SUPPLEMENTED WITH FOLATE, OR AN HFD SUPPLEMENTED WITH FOLATE FOR 5 WEEKS BEFORE MATING. OPEN FIELD TASK AND ELEVATED PLUS MAZE ARE USED TO EVALUATE THE OFFSPRING BEHAVIORS. RESULTS SHOWED THAT OFFSPRING COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AND ANXIETY-RELATED BEHAVIORS, INCLUDING THOSE RELATED TO OPEN FIELD EXPLORATION AND ELEVATED PLUS MAZE, WERE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED WHEN DAMS WERE TREATED WITH FOLATE IN PREGNANCY. MOREOVER, THE MATERNAL FOLATE SUPPLEMENT DECREASED BDNF AND GRIN2B METHYLATION AND UPREGULATED THEIR EXPRESSIONS IN THE BRAIN OF OFFSPRING, WHICH WERE ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASING THE EXPRESSION OF DNA METHYLTRANSFERASES COMPARED WITH THOSE DAMS WERE TREATED ONLY HFD IN PREGNANCY. CONCLUSION: MATERNAL FOLATE SUPPLEMENTATION AMELIORATES BEHAVIOR DISORDERS INDUCED BY PRENATAL HIGH-FAT DIET. THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH METHYLATION AND EXPRESSION ALTERATION OF BDNF AND GRIN2B GENES. 2017