Volume 2 • Issue 1 • 1000107 Biochem Physiol ISSN: 2168-9652 BCP, an open access journal Research Article Open Access Biochemistry & Physiology: Open Access Farahani et al., Biochem Physiol 2013, 2:1 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2168-9652.1000107 Key Words: Acute ethanol; Chronic ethanol; Homocysteine; Leptin; embryonic stage; Chicken Introduction Leptin is a 16 KDa polypeptide hormone (167 amino acids). he OB gene codes for hormones are secreted mainly by adipose tissue, placenta, fetal tissue and membranes, and stomach. Leptin reaches the brain, crossing the blood-brain barrier or the chroroid-cerebrospinal luid barrier and informs the brain about the size of the fat stores [1]. Leptin has a wide variety of central and peripheral actions such as reproduction, food intake, energy expenditure, lipid metabolism, immune system, blood pressure and angiogenesis [2,3]. Recent evidence has shown leptin as a risk factor for vascular disease. It may be an important link between cardiovascular disease and obesity. Leptin has a procoagulant, atherosclerotic role and platelet aggregation efect [4]. Homocysteine (Hcy) is a sulfur-containing amino acid produced from food methionine metabolism in the body. It can be converted to methionine or cysteine by remethylation or trans-sulforation cycles with some enzymes (MS, MTHFR, SAM) and cofactors (B6, B12). Folate as a methyl group donor is essential in the remethylation cycle too. Hcy is transported from blood brain barrier into the CSF and brain, although human neural cells are capable of producing Hcy [5]. Insuicient folic acid, B6, B12 and impairment in enzymes functions cause hyper-homocysteinemia. Hcy>12 µ mol/dl has been shown as a risk factor for vascular disease, brain athrophy and neurodegenrative disease [6]. Hyper-Homocysteinemia has been linked to atherosclerosis and thrombosis [7]. Ethanol has weakly charged molecules that move easily through the cell membrane, rapidly equilibrating between blood and tissue. *Corresponding author: Dr. M. Taherianfard, Dept of Physiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Zip code: 71345, P.O. Box: 1731, Shiraz, Iran, Tel: 0098-711-2286950 ; Fax: 0098-711-2286940 ; E-mail: taherian@shirazu.ac.ir Received December 24, 2013; Accepted February 05, 2013; Published February 08, 2013 Citation: Farahani Z, Taherianfard M, Nazii S (2013) Exposure to Acute and Chronic Ethanol in Developmental Stage of Chick can Change the Brain Homocysteine and Leptin. Biochem Physiol 2:107. doi:10.4172/2168-9652.1000107 Copyright: © 2013 Farahani Z, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Abstract Aim: Ethanol intake decreases food intake in rat, and one of the possible mediators of this alcohol effect is leptin. On the other hand, the concentration of total plasma homocysteine is a well-established indicator for the risk of cardiovascular disease, and seems to be related to ethanol consumption. So, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of exposure to acute (70%) and chronic (10%) evaporated ethanol on 1) brain leptin and homocysteine concentration on the 15 th day of embryonic development of chick; 2) brain leptin and homocysteine concentration immediately after hatch of chick; 3) serum leptin concentration immediately after hatch of chick. Methods: 60 fertilized eggs were used. Eggs were divided into 3 groups, 1) Control; 2) acute exposure to ethanol 3) chronic exposure to ethanol. Homocysteine was measured by using enzyme-linked assay, and leptin was measured with the chick leptin radioimmunoassay kit. Results: Data showed that exposure to acute and chronic ethanol signiicantly (P<0.05) decreased brain homocysteine concentration on the 15 th day of embryonic stage of chicken, but did not have any effect on brain homocysteine concentration immediately after hatch Exposure to acute and chronic ethanol signiicantly (P<0.05) increased brain leptin on the 15 th day of embryonic stage, brain leptin immediately after hatch of chick and plasma leptin immediately after hatch of chick. Conclusion: Present results indicated that exposure to acute and chronic ethanol by evaporation in embryonic stage of chicken can change the brain homocysteine, brain leptin and serum leptin. Exposure to Acute and Chronic Ethanol in Developmental Stage of Chick can Change the Brain Homocysteine and Leptin Zahra Farahani 1 , Mahnaz Taherianfard 2 * and Saied Nazii 3 1 Maternal, fetal and neonatal research center, Tehran University of medical sciences, Tehran, Iran 2 Dept of physiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran 3 Dept of Clinical Pathology, School of Vet Med, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Alcohol, at low doses can have some beneicial efects such as decreased rates of myocardial infarction, stroke, gallstone, and possibly vascular or Alzheimer’s dementia, but the consumption of more than 2 standard drinks per day increases the risk for health problems in many organ systems and hormonal changes [8]. Ethanol intake by changes in adipose tissue and BMI can afect leptin concentration [9]. Some studies have indicated an inverse relation between alcohol use and leptin level [10] . In other investigations Ethanol is shown as a powerful inducer of hyperleptinemia in both animals and humans. Alcohol intake has the potential to alter body weight as it is energy-dense and may also alter eating behavior at higher levels of consumption. Each of these lifestyle factors, therefore, has the ability to alter adipose tissue mass, possibly via leptin [9]. On the other hand, short-term and chronic ethanol intake inluences Hcy concentration by changes in the methylation pathway, folate and cofactors concentration [11]. Ethanol–induced increase in serum Hcy levels has been observed in active alcoholics. Exogenous ethanol caused elevated endogenous brain Hcy level, reduced S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM) levels, and increased