Background
Alcohol exposure leads to changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the brain, which profoundly impacts neuronal plasticity. Perineuronal nets (PNs) are specialized ECM structures that enclose subpopulations of neurons in the cortex. Adolescent exposure to alcohol induces long-lasting increases in the expression of PN components in the cortex in adult mice. However, it has not been determined whether binge alcohol exposure in young adults alters PNs. Here, we examined PNs and their core components in the insula and primary motor cortex after repeated binge-like ethanol consumption in adult mice.
Methods
The 4 day drinking in the dark (DID) procedure was performed in mice for 1 or 6 weeks to model binge alcohol consumption. The impact of ethanol drinking on PNs was examined by fluorescent staining of brain sections using a marker for PNs, Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA). In another set of experiments, cortex was dissected and Western blots and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) were performed to evaluate the expression of the PN proteins aggrecan, brevican, and phosphacan.
Results
Binge-like ethanol drinking for 6 weeks caused a significant increase in PNs in the insula, as measured by WFA binding. Aggrecan, brevican and phosphacan protein expression, and aggrecan mRNA expression, were also elevated in the insula after 6 weeks of ethanol drinking. In contrast, expression of PN components did not change after 1 week of DID. The increase in PNs appears to be specific to the insula, since alterations were not observed in the primary motor cortex.
Conclusions
Our results provide the first evidence that insular PNs increase after long-term binge drinking. The insula mediates compulsive alcohol use. Since PNs influence neuronal firing and plasticity, increased PNs in the insula after multiple binge cycles may contribute to restricted neuronal plasticity and lead to the development of compulsive alcohol use.