title: Polymorphisms of the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4 VNTR) and cannabinoid CB1 receptor gene (CNR1) are not strongly related to cue-reactivity after alcohol exposure.
abstract: Polymorphisms in the D4 dopamine receptor gene (DRD4) and the CB1 cannabinoid receptor gene (CNR1) have been associated with a differential response to alcohol after consumption. The goal of the present study was to investigate whether heavy drinkers with these polymorphisms would respond with enhanced cue-reactivity after alcohol exposure. Eighty-eight male heavy drinkers were genotyped for the DRD4 variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) [either DRD4 long (L) or short (S)] and the CNR1 rs2023239 polymorphism (either CT/CC or TT). Participants were exposed to water and beer in 3-minute trials. Dependent variables of main interest were subjective craving for alcohol, subjective arousal and salivary reactivity. Overall, no strong evidence was found for stronger cue-reactivity (= outcome difference between beer and water trial) in the DRD4 L and CNR1 C allele groups. The DRD4 VNTR polymorphism tended to moderate salivary reactivity such that DRD4 L participants showed a larger beverage effect than the DRD4 S participants. Unexpectedly, the DRD4 L participants reported, on average, less craving for alcohol and more subjective arousal during cue exposure, compared with the DRD4 S participants. As weekly alcohol consumption increased, the CNR1 C allele group tended to report more craving for alcohol during the alcohol exposure than the T allele group. The DRD4 and CNR1 polymorphisms do not appear to strongly moderate cue-reactivity after alcohol cue exposure, in male heavy drinkers.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, Experimental Psychology, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, the Netherlands. E.vandenWildenberg@psychology.unimaas.nl
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van den Wildenberg
authors.forename: Rob G J H
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Kent E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hutchison
authors.forename: Gerard J P
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: van Breukelen
authors.forename: Reinout W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Wiers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D000483:Alleles; D001143:Arousal / Q000235:genetics*; D001515:Beer; D003463:Cues; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D009042:Motivation; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000235:genetics*; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4 / Q000235:genetics*; D012472:Salivation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4