Effects of L-Theanine on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Induced Changes in Rat Brain Gene Expression

Table 3

Between-group changes in gene expression within the amygdala.

Gene	^#Group comparison	Fold change	Effect size	𝑃 value	Description of gene
Gabra4	C-L versus P-L	0.48	0.271	*.001	A subunit of GABA type-A receptors responsible for encoding GABA [57]
	C-L versus P-M	0.41
	C-L versus C-M	0.43
SLc5a7	C-V versus P-L	1.08	0.195	*.024	A Na^+ and Cl^− transporter that mediates the uptake of choline for ACh synthesis in cholinergic neurons [58]
Drd2	P-V versus P-M	2.28	0.188	*.03	Effect of mRNA stability and synthesis of the type 2 dopamine receptor [59]
Drd1a	C-M + L versus P-M	1.58	0.181	*.038	Plays a fundamental role in spatial working memory and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in prefrontal cortex [60]
Glra2	C-M versus C-M + L	0.73	0.179	*.04	Provides instructions for making the alpha-1 subunit of the glycine receptor protein [61]
Chrna6	C-M versus C-M + L	1.01	0.159	.075	Codes for the alpha-6 subunit found in certain types of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors [62]
Htr3a	C-L versus P-M + L	0.39	0.156	.081	Gene encodes subunit A of the type 3 receptor for 5-HT (serotonin) [63]
Chrnb4	C-V versus C-M + L	1.16	0.154	.087	A nicotinic ACh receptor gene subtype. It is partially responsible for ETOH and tobacco addiction [64]
Gabrd	C-M + L versus P-M	0.67	0.153	.089	This gene encodes the delta subunit of GABA [65]
Prima1	P-V versus P-M	0.69	0.145	.111	Functions to organize acetylcholinesterase (AChE) into tetramers and to anchor AChE at neural cell membranes [66]
Chrna3	P-L versus C-M + L	0.89	0.141	.127	Encodes an alpha-type subunit, in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor [67]

#Group comparison column presents the highest and lowest mean; *significant 𝑃 value < .05. PTSD-vehicle (P-V); PTSD midazolam (P-M); PTSD-L-theanine (P-L); PTSD midazolam + L-theanine (P-M + L); control vehicle (C-V); control midazolam (C-M); control L-theanine (C-L); control midazolam + L-theanine (C-M + L); large effect size > 0.138; significant 𝑃 value < .05. All genes were confirmed via the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database [56].