TY  - JOUR
A1  - Knothe, Claudia
A1  - Oertel, Bruno Georg
A1  - Ultsch, Alfred
A1  - Kettner, Mattias
A1  - Schmidt, Peter Harald
A1  - Wunder, Cora
A1  - Tönnes, Stefan W.
A1  - Geisslinger, Gerd
A1  - Lötsch, Jörn
T1  - Pharmacoepigenetics of the role of DNA methylation in μ-opioid receptor expression in different human brain regions
T2  - Epigenomics
N2  - Aim: Exposure to opioids has been associated with epigenetic effects. Studies in rodents suggested a role of varying degrees of DNA methylation in the differential regulation of μ-opioid receptor expression across the brain.
Methods: In a translational investigation, using tissue acquired postmortem from 21 brain regions of former opiate addicts, representing a human cohort with chronic opioid exposure, μ-opioid receptor expression was analyzed at the level of DNA methylation, mRNA and protein.
Results & conclusion: While high or low μ-opioid receptor expression significantly correlated with local OPRM1 mRNA levels, there was no corresponding association with OPRM1 methylation status. Additional experiments in human cell lines showed that changes in DNA methylation associated with changes in μ-opioid expression were an order of magnitude greater than differences in brain. Hence, different degrees of DNA methylation associated with chronic opioid exposure are unlikely to exert a major role in the region-specificity of μ-opioid receptor expression in the human brain.
KW  - DNA methylation
KW  - human brain
KW  - μ-opioid receptor regulation
KW  - OPRM1 methylation
Y1  - 2017
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/43888
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-438887
SN  - 1750-192X
SN  - 1750-1911
N1  - Open access: This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
VL  - 8
IS  - 12
SP  - 1583
EP  - 1599
PB  - Future Medicine Ltd.
CY  - London
ER  -