QUANTIFICATION OF PROOPIOMELANOCORTIN MESSENGER-RNA IN PERIPHERAL LYMPHOCYTES OF ALCOHOLICS

Recent studies indicate the production of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by human mononuclear leucocytes constitutively or in response t o hypothalamic factors and interferon inducers. These results have led to the proposal that the control mechanisms for the proopiomelanocort in (POMC) gene in lymphocytes may be similar to that of pituitary cell s. After chronic ethanol treatment, changes in the pituitary POMC mRNA in rats have been reported, but so far nothing is known about changes in the POMC gene expression in lymphocytes under these conditions. Th erefore, the expression of the POMC gene was investigated in human per ipheral lymphocytes in both volunteers and alcoholics. POMC mRNA level s in these cells were significantly increased in alcoholics, with one alcoholic showing an even more than five times higher POMC mRNA level compared to the other patients. After detoxification, a significant de crease in the POMC mRNA of alcoholic patients was observed, except in the one with the extremely elevated POMC mRNA level, where the opposit e occurred. An influence of chronic ethanol ingestion on POMC gene exp ression in lymphocytes could be assumed. The observed changes seem to be correlated with ethanol intake, because the elevated POMC mRNA amou nts found in lymphocytes of alcoholics after admission to the hospital were already declining after the detoxification period. (C) 1998 Else vier Science Inc.