Journal of Alcoholism & Drug Dependence
Open Access

Abstract

Proteome Analysis of the Cerebellum Tissue in Chronically Alcohol-Fed Rats

Gulimire Abulaiti, Setsu Sawai, Mamoru Satoh, Mako Yamada, Masae Yaguchi, Kazuyuki Sogawa, Minako Beppu, Takahiro Kazami, Sayaka Kado, Kazuyuki Matsushita, Atsushi Tsukamoto, Tomo Inomata, Kimihito Arai, Yoshio Kodera, Satoshi Kuwabara and Fumio Nomura

Background: Cerebellar degeneration is one of the most common effects of chronic alcohol exposure, and Purkinje cells are the main targets of alcohol-induced cerebellum neuropathology, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Methods: Eight rats were fed for 8 weeks with a nutritionally adequate liquid diet containing either ethanol as 36% of the total caloric content or an isocaloric control diet. Rat cerebellum homogenates were subjected to agarose two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), and the protein expression profiles in chronically alcohol-fed rats and the pair-fed controls were compared. The observed changes in the protein expression levels were confirmed using immunoblotting analysis. Results: Three protein spots changed significantly in intensity according to 2-DE. Based on immunoblotting analysis, low expression levels of microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP2) and the overexpression of voltagedependent anion channel protein 1 (VDAC1) were observed in the cerebellum of alcohol-fed rats. The expression levels of both proteins did not change in other parts of the brain. Conclusions: Low expression levels of MAP2 and overexpression of VDAC1 were detected using proteome analysis of the cerebellum tissue from chronically alcohol-fed rats. Changes in the expression of these proteins may be related to cerebellar degeneration following chronic alcohol consumption.