微小RNA在药物成瘾中的作用研究进展

Roles of microRNA in drug addiction: research advances

药物成瘾是一种慢性、反复发作的脑疾病,主要表现为强迫性觅药和对药物的持续性渴求,其本质是机体长期接触成瘾性物质后中枢神经系统产生的代偿性适应。微小RNA(microRNA)作为一类重要的内源性非编码RNA,在转录后水平调控基因的表达,对机体的多种生理和病理生理过程发挥调节作用。研究表明,中枢神经系统中存在多种microRNA,参与中枢神经系统的发育、神经元分化和突触可塑性等过程,提示其可能在药物成瘾过程中发挥重要作用。目前microRNA在药物成瘾领域的研究报道越来越多,本文就近年来microRNA在药物成瘾中作用的研究进展进行综述。

Drug addiction, mainly characterized as compulsive drug-seeking and persistent drug craving, is a chronic and relapsing brain disease. The essence of drug addiction is compensatory adaptations occurring on central nervous system induced by chronic exposure to addictive substances. MicroRNA, a class of vital endogenous non-coding RNA with post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, play key roles in multiple physiological and pathophysiological processes. Studies have shown that various kinds of microRNA exist in central nervous system and participate in development of central nervous system, neuron differentiation and synapse plasticity, and so on, which may play crucial roles in drug addiction. Currently, increasing researches that focus on microRNA in the field of drug addiction are reported. This review summarizes the latest researches on the role of microRNA in drug addiction.