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Transcriptional alterations in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens implicate neuroinflammation and synaptic remodeling in opioid use disorder

ABSTRACT: Transcriptional alterations in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens implicate neuroinflammation and synaptic remodeling in opioid use disorder. Transcriptomic profile of 20 control subjects and 20 OUD subjects in brain region DLPFC and NAC

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE174409 | GEO | 2021/06/12

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:This dataset includes samples in the UTHealth Brain Collection (UTHBC) from Grimm et al 2022 "MicroRNA-mRNA networks are dysregulated in opioid use disorder postmortem brain: further evidence for opioid-induced neurovascular alterations ", doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1025346. To understand mechanisms and identify potential targets for intervention in the current crisis of opioid use disorder (OUD), postmortem brains represent an under-utilized resource. To refine previously reported gene signatures of neurobiological alterations in OUD from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Brodmann Area 9, BA9), we explored the role of microRNAs (miRNA) as powerful epigenetic regulators of gene function. Building on the growing appreciation that miRNAs can cross the blood-brain barrier, we carried out miRNA profiling in same-subject postmortem samples from BA9 and blood tissues. miRNA-mRNA network analysis showed that even though miRNAs identified in BA9 and blood were fairly distinct, their target genes and corresponding enriched pathways overlapped strongly. Among the dominant enriched biological processes were tissue development and morphogenesis, and MAPK signaling pathways. These findings point to robust, redundant, and systemic opioid-induced miRNA dysregulation with potential functional impact on transcriptomic changes. Further, using correlation network analysis we identified cell-type specific miRNA targets, specifically in astrocytes, neurons, and endothelial cells, associated with OUD transcriptomic dysregulation. Finally, leveraging a collection of control brain transcriptomes from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, we identified correlation of OUD miRNA targets with TGF beta, hypoxia, angiogenesis, coagulation, immune system and inflammatory pathways. These findings support previous reports of neurovascular and immune system alterations as a consequence of opioid abuse and shed new light on miRNA network regulators of cellular response to opioid drugs.

Project description:BackgroundPrevalence rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) have increased dramatically, accompanied by a surge of overdose deaths. While opioid dependence has been extensively studied in preclinical models, an understanding of the biological alterations that occur in the brains of people who chronically use opioids and who are diagnosed with OUD remains limited. To address this limitation, RNA sequencing was conducted on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, regions heavily implicated in OUD, from postmortem brains in subjects with OUD.MethodsWe performed RNA sequencing on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens from unaffected comparison subjects (n = 20) and subjects diagnosed with OUD (n = 20). Our transcriptomic analyses identified differentially expressed transcripts and investigated the transcriptional coherence between brain regions using rank-rank hypergeometric orderlap. Weighted gene coexpression analyses identified OUD-specific modules and gene networks. Integrative analyses between differentially expressed transcripts and genome-wide association study datasets using linkage disequilibrium scores assessed the genetic liability of psychiatric-related phenotypes in OUD.ResultsRank-rank hypergeometric overlap analyses revealed extensive overlap in transcripts between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens in OUD, related to synaptic remodeling and neuroinflammation. Identified transcripts were enriched for factors that control proinflammatory cytokine, chondroitin sulfate, and extracellular matrix signaling. Cell-type deconvolution implicated a role for microglia as a potential driver for opioid-induced neuroplasticity. Linkage disequilibrium score analysis suggested genetic liabilities for risky behavior, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and depression in subjects with OUD.ConclusionsOverall, our findings suggest connections between the brain's immune system and opioid dependence in the human brain.

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Transcriptional alterations in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens implicate neuroinflammation and synaptic remodeling in opioid use disorder

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