Abstract
Background: Chronic drug abuse changes microRNA (miRNA) expression in the brain, which may contribute to addictive behaviors. Many miRNAs play critical roles in developing drug addiction. Methamphetamine induces various alterations in different systems by affecting gene expression, but the effects of methamphetamine on miRNA profiles need to be elucidated. This study evaluated the expression of miRNA-183 and miRNA-143 in the blood of methamphetamine abusers and controls. Methods: In this case-control study, the case group comprised 60 people with a methamphetamine addiction from Tabriz City, East Azerbaijan, Iran, and the control group comprised 60 healthy controls of comparable ages and ethnicities. Total RNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples, and then cDNA was synthesized. MicroRNA-183 and microRNA-143 expression levels were determined using real-time PCR. Results: The results indicated that methamphetamine abusers had significantly higher blood levels of miRNA-143 than healthy controls (P<0.05); however, miRNA-183 expression was comparable between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: MicroRNA-143 may play a role in the pathology of methamphetamine abuse, so it may be used as an additional method to identify people with an addiction precisely.
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