Epigenetic Effects Induced by Methamphetamine and Methamphetamine-Dependent Oxidative Stress

Figure 13

METH-induced gene priming and sensitization. A single dose of METH may be sufficient to induce an epigenetic switch consisting in increased gene expression. Such an effect may also occur during chronic METH resulting in long-term sensitization. This occurs through increased histone acetylation and methylation at specific K residues (i.e., H3K4) joined with poor activity of DNMTs (hypomethylation of CpGs), which altogether produce an “open” chromatin conformation and allow the binding of TFs at the level of gene promoters.