Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor as a Potential Biomarker of Neuroinflammation and Frontal Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder

Biomedicines

Juan Jesús Ruiz¹  Magí Farré²  Esther Papaseit²  Nerea Requena-Ocaña³  Jesús Ortega-Pinazo³  Nuria García-Marchena³  Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca³  Pedro Araos³  María Flores-Lopez³  Antonia Serrano³  Francisco Javier Pavón-Morón³  Juan Suarez³ 

[1] Centro Provincial de Drogodependencias (CPD) de Málaga, Diputación de Málaga, C/Ana Solo de Zaldívar, n° 3, 29010 Malaga, Spain;Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Hospital Universitari Trias I Pujol and Institut de Recerca Germans Trias I Pujol (HUGTiP-IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain;Laboratorio de Medicina Regenerativa (LMR), Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Avda. Carlos Haya 82, Sótano, 29010 Malaga, Spain;

关键词: alcohol use disorders;    addiction;    VEGFA;    blood–brain barrier;    chemokines;    fractalkine;   

DOI  :  10.3390/biomedicines10050947

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

(1) Background: Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is associated with functional disruption of several brain structures that may trigger cognitive dysfunction. One of the mechanisms of alcohol-associated cognitive impairment has been proposed to arise from its direct impact on the immune system, which culminates in the release of cytokines and chemokines which can eventually reach the brain. Alcohol can also disrupt the blood–brain barrier, facilitating the penetration of pro-inflammatory molecules throughout vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA). Thus, alcohol-induced alterations in chemokines and VEGFA might contribute to the neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment associated with AUD. (2) Methods: The present cross-sectional study investigates whether patients with AUD (n = 86) present cognitive disability associated to alterations in plasma concentration of SDF-1, fractalkine, eotaxin, MCP-1, MIP-1α and VEGFA when compared to control subjects (n = 51). (3) Results: The analysis indicated that SDF-1 and MCP-1 concentrations were higher in AUD patients than in controls. Concentrations of VEGFA were higher in AUD patients with severe frontal deficits, and the score of frontal lobe functions was negatively correlated with VEGFA and fractalkine. Acute alcohol effects on VEGFA plasma levels in healthy volunteers demonstrated the induction of VEGFA release by heavy alcohol drinking. VEGFA was positively correlated with pro-inflammatory chemokines in AUD patients with frontal cognitive impairment. (4) Conclusions: we propose VEGFA/chemokine monitoring as biomarkers of potential cognitive impairment in AUD patients.

【 授权许可】

Unknown