Preliminary data on the association among the serotonin transporter polymorphism, subjective alcohol experiences, and drinking behavior.
OBJECTIVE
Individual differences in subjective responses to alcohol are believed to have a genetic basis and have been associated with increased risk of alcohol-related problems. There are, however, conflicting results from past studies, perhaps owing to differences in subjective alcohol effects by limb of the blood alcohol curve and the passage of time. The current pilot study evaluated relations among serotonin transporter (SERT) genotype, subjective alcohol responses, and drinking behavior across both the ascending and descending limbs of the blood alcohol curve.


METHODS
Participants (N=222; 68% male) were administered alcohol (target blood alcohol concentration of .06%) with a subsample (n=86) providing genetic data. Following a social stressor, participants were provided the opportunity to engage in ad libitum alcohol consumption.


RESULTS
SERT transporter was not significantly associated with ad lib drinking or subjective alcohol effects at individual time points, although a trend toward a SERT by blood alcohol concentration limb interaction was observed for ad lib drinking. In addition, SERT genotype predicted acute tolerance to alcohol effects, with participants homozygous for the long SERT allele developing acute tolerance more rapidly than other genotypes.


CONCLUSIONS
Although SERT genotype was not reliably associated with ad lib drinking behavior, the results suggest that individuals with the long-long (LL) genotype may develop acute tolerance to alcohol effects more rapidly than heterozygotes or individuals homozygous for the short SERT allele.
Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, USA. william.corbin@yale.edu
William R
WR
Corbin
Kim
K
Fromme
Susan E
SE
Bergeson
D000339:Affect; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000483:Alleles; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000235:genetics*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012701:Serotonin