Tolerance to ethanol: cerebellar apoptotic parameters and circulating miRNAs in senile UChB rats (voluntary ethanol consumers)

Abstract

Abstract Background Despite the absence of scientific data supporting the real impact of drinking on elderly individuals, alcohol abuse is a common feature of older people. Because aging is associated with biological changes that include reduced water volume in the body, lower efficiency of liver enzymes and hepatic blood flow, and altered brain responsiveness due to drug interactions, elderly individuals are more prone to the harmful effects of alcohol consumption. The adverse effects of acute or chronic exposure to ethanol have been extensively recognized on cerebellar circuits, with impairment in movement and balance. In addition to motor deterioration, cerebellar degeneration contributes to distinct neuropsychological deficits in chronic alcoholics and children with prenatal exposure to ethanol. However, the effects on senile individuals are unclear. This study determines the pattern of MicroRNAs, gene expressions, apoptotic and anti-apoptotic protein levels, and ultrastructural analysis of neurons to contribute to the understanding of the consequences of alcohol abuse on the senile cerebellum.Methods and Results The results of immunohistochemical and gene expressions for Caspase-3, XIAP, and IGFR-1 were similar in both groups. Serum levels of miR-9-3p, -15b-5p, -16-5p, -21, − 200a, and − 222-3p were upregulated in the presence of ethanol with aging.Conclusions The results suggest an important tolerance development by the UChB rats to chronic ethanol consumption in the aged cerebellum, and miRNAs may be potentially involved with this mechanism.