title: Genetic analyses of the biphasic nature of the alcohol dose-response curve.
abstract: Ethanol (ETOH)-induced locomotor activation and depression were studied in 23 genotypes of mice. This included a diallel cross of four inbred strains tested with a range of ETOH doses from 0 to 2.75 g/kg. The diversity in shapes of the biphasic ETOH dose-response curves was both qualitative and quantitative, and additive gene action characterized the genetic control of the dose-response curve. Small dominance effects were typically directional in the direction of more activation, or resistance to sedation. No evidence was found for maternal effects, sex linkage, or epistasis. Sex differences were seen in the increased susceptibility of male mice to locomotor sedation at higher ETOH doses. In the diallel cross, there was no correlation between the degree of activation produced by low ETOH doses and sedation produced by higher doses. This indicates that while considerable genetic influences exist for both activational and sedative domains of ETOH effects, these genetic influences are relatively independent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Albany 12222.
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Dudek
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hahn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005788:Gene Pool; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol