AUTHOR=Jin Zhe , Bazov Igor , Kononenko Olga , Korpi Esa R., Bakalkin Georgy , Birnir Bryndis TITLE=Selective Changes of GABAA Channel Subunit mRNAs in the Hippocampus and Orbitofrontal Cortex but not in Prefrontal Cortex of Human Alcoholics JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience VOLUME=5 YEAR=2012 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fncel.2011.00030 DOI=10.3389/fncel.2011.00030 ISSN=1662-5102 ABSTRACT=

Alcohol dependence is a common chronic relapsing disorder. The development of alcohol dependence has been associated with changes in brain GABAA channel-mediated neurotransmission and plasticity. We have examined mRNA expression of the GABAA channel subunit genes in three brain regions in individuals with or without alcohol dependence using quantitative real-time PCR assay. The levels of selective GABAA channel subunit mRNAs were altered in specific brain regions in alcoholic subjects. Significant increase in the α1, α4, α5, β1, and γ1 subunit mRNAs in the hippocampal dentate gyrus region, and decrease in the β2 and δ subunit mRNAs in the orbitofrontal cortex were identified whereas no changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were detected. The data increase our understanding of the role of GABAA channels in the development of alcohol dependence.