Second, brain regions with a larger number of AUD-associated miRNAs and mRNAs may be more responsive to alcohol stimulation or play a more important role in alcohol-induced neuroadaptations. As shown in Fig. 1, the PFC had the largest number of AUD-associated miRNAs, and there were more upregulated than downregulated miRNAs in the PFC. Correspondingly, more mRNAs were significantly downregulated in the PFC of AUD subjects than in other brain regions of AUD subjects (Fig. 2). Given the role of the PFC in higher cognitive functions, alcohol-induced expression changes of miRNAs and their target mRNAs in the PFC may lead to cognitive deficits and compromised working memory. Moreover, differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs were also observed in seven other brain regions of AUD subjects, and some AUD-associated miRNAs and mRNAs were shared among multiple brain regions of AUD subjects (Figs. 1 and 2). These findings provided insight into the coordinated role of multiple brain regions in AUD development and also suggested coordinated expression changes of miRNAs and mRNAs in the brains of AUD subjects.
