Fig 2: Effects of adolescent alcohol exposure on acetylated histone H3K9/14 occupancy at pro-opiomelanocortin (Pomc) and melanocortin 4 receptor (Mc4r) gene promoters at 2 locations as shown in upper panel. Rats exposed to adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) and saline (AIS) were used to measure for H3K9/14 occupancy at the Mc4r promoter region in the amygdala and at both the Mc4r and Pomc promoter regions in the hypothalamus in adulthood by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. Values are represented as the mean ± SEM of the fold change derived from the AIS adult rats (*P<.05, **P<.01, ***P<.001 significantly different from control AIS rats, Student’s t test, n = 4–6 [amygdala], n = 7 [hypothalamus]).

Fig 3: Effects of adolescent alcohol exposure on mRNA expression of pro-opiomelanocortin (Pomc) and melanocortin 4 receptor (Mc4r) in the amygdala and hypothalamus in adulthood. Adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE)-exposed adult rats display increased Pomc and Mc4r in the hypothalamus and increased Mc4r in the amygdala compared with adolescent intermittent saline (AIS)-exposed adult rats. Values are represented as the mean ± SEM of the fold change derived from the AIS adult rats (*P<.05 significantly different from control AIS rats, Student’s t test, n = 5–9).