Institute of Psychiatry, SGDP Research Centre, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, UK.
Addiction. 2011 Mar;106(3):480-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03321.x.
Addiction is a debilitating psychiatric disorder, with a complex aetiology involving the interaction of inherited predispositions and environmental factors. Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic alterations to the genome, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, are important mechanisms underlying addiction and the neurobiological response to addictive substances. In this review, we introduce the reader to epigenetic mechanisms and describe a potential role for dynamic epigenetic changes in mediating addictive behaviours via long-lasting changes in gene expression. We summarize recent findings from both molecular and behavioural experiments elucidating the role of epigenetic changes in mediating the addictive potential of various drugs of abuse, including cocaine, amphetamine and alcohol. The implications of these findings for molecular studies of addiction and the future development of novel therapeutic interventions are also discussed.
成瘾是一种使人虚弱的精神障碍，其病因复杂，涉及遗传易感性和环境因素的相互作用。新出现的证据表明，基因组的表观遗传改变，包括 DNA 甲基化和组蛋白修饰，是成瘾和对成瘾物质的神经生物学反应的重要机制。在这篇综述中，我们向读者介绍了表观遗传机制，并描述了动态表观遗传变化通过基因表达的持久变化在介导成瘾行为中的潜在作用。我们总结了最近分子和行为实验的发现，这些发现阐明了表观遗传变化在介导各种滥用药物（包括可卡因、安非他命和酒精）成瘾潜力方面的作用。我们还讨论了这些发现对成瘾的分子研究和新型治疗干预措施的未来发展的意义。
