AUTHOR=Anders Quézia Silva , Klauss Jaisa , Rodrigues Livia Carla de Melo , Nakamura-Palacios Ester Miyuki 

TITLE=FosB mRNA Expression in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes in Drug Addicted Patients

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2018.01205

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2018.01205

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>FosB</italic> gene heterodimerizes with Jun family proteins to form activator protein 1 (AP-1) complexes that bind to AP-1 sites in responsive genes to regulate transcription in all cells. The genic expression of <italic>FosB</italic> seems to be modified after long time exposure to drugs of abuse and these changes may be involved in craving and addicted behavior. This study investigated the <italic>FosB</italic> mRNA expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes of drug addicted patients using real-time PCR approach. Thus, patients with crack-cocaine use disorder (CUD, <italic>n</italic> = 10), alcohol use disorder (AUD, <italic>n</italic> = 12), and healthy non-addicted subjects (CONT, <italic>n</italic> = 12) were assessed. <italic>FosB</italic> mRNA expression was reduced by 1.15-fold in CUD and 2.17-fold in AUD when compared to CONT. Hedge’s effect size g<sub>s</sub> over log <italic>FosB</italic>/Act was of 0.66 for CUD and of 0.30 for AUD when compared to controls. This study showed that <italic>FosB</italic> mRNA expression was detected in lymphocytes from peripheral blood for the first time, and it was less expressed in drug addicted patients. This molecular technique may constitute a potential peripheral marker for substance use disorder.</p>