Sex distinctiveness in effective genotype

Dissociation between the aversive and pharmacokinetic effects of ethanol in female Fischer and Lewis rats

In humans and laboratory animal models, vulnerability to alcohol abuse is influenced by endogenous factors such as genotype. Using the inbred Fischer and Lewis rat strains, we previously reported stronger conditioned taste aversions (CTA) in male Fischer rats that could not be predicted by genotypic differences in alcohol absorption [Roma PG, Flint WW, Higley JD, Riley AL. Assessment of the aversive and rewarding effects of alcohol in Fischer and Lewis rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2006;189:187-99]. The present study made similar assessments in Fischer and Lewis females via four-trial CTA induced by 1 or 1.5 g/kg intraperitoneal (IP) ethanol (n=10-12/strain/dose) as well as measures of blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) at 15, 60 and 180 min post-injection with 1.5 g/kg IP ethanol or saline (n=7-8/strain/dose). Dose-dependent CTAs were produced, but the strains did not differ from each other in these measures; however, BACs in the Lewis females were significantly higher than Fischer at all three time points. As with males of the Fischer and Lewis genotypes, a dissociation between BACs and the aversive effects of alcohol was observed. These data are the first assessments of these particular phenotypes in Fischer and Lewis females, and when considered with the historical data, suggest a Genotype x Sex interaction in the centrally mediated sensitivity to alcohol's aversive effects.

The genetic mediation of individual differences in sensitivity to pain and its inhibition

The underlying bases of the considerable interindividual variability in pain-related traits are starting to be revealed. Although the relative importance of genes versus experience in human pain perception remains unclear, rodent populations display large and heritable differences in both nociceptive and analgesic sensitivity. The identification and characterization of particularly divergent populations provides a powerful initial step in the genetic analysis of pain, because these models can be exploited to identify genes contributing to the behavior-level variability. Ultimately, DNA sequence differences representing the differential alleles at pain-relevant genes can be identified. Thus, by using a combination of "top-down" and "bottom-up" strategies, we are now able to genetically dissect even complex biological traits like pain. The present review summarizes the current progress toward these ends in both humans and rodents.

Genetics of alcoholism: rapid development of a new high-ethanol-preferring (HEP) strain of female and male rats

A genetically based animal model of alcoholism has been developed in a relatively short period of 3 years. The new strain is characterized by an intense preference for ethanol over water as well as unique behavioral, neurochemical and other attributes. This new strain, termed high-ethanol-preferring (HEP) rats, was derived initially from selective cross-breeding of a variant strain of female Harlan Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with the outbred Wistar line of male ethanol-preferring (P) rats. In this study, drinking patterns of both genders were obtained over 10 days by presenting water and ethanol in concentrations ranging from 3% to 30%. To expedite the development of the new strain, only three to five female and male rats served as breeders, which were chosen from all litters on the basis of their maximum g/kg intake integrated with proportion of ethanol to total fluid values. Profiles of intake of preferred concentrations of ethanol were obtained over 24 h of unlimited access as well as during 2-h intervals of limited access to ethanol. Levels of blood ethanol were measured in both female and male HEP animals during bouts of ethanol drinking in the limited access paradigm. By the sixth generation of HEP rats, ethanol consumption of the females often exceeded that of any other rat genetically bred to drink ethanol (e.g., at a concentration of 15.7%, 10.3 g/kg per day). Seven additional characteristics are notable: 1) the HEP rats prefer ethanol in the presence of a nutritious chocolate drink or nonnutrient sweetened solution (aspartame); 2) high levels of blood ethanol are associated with their drinking; 3) females drink significantly greater g/kg amounts of ethanol than HEP males and prefer a higher percent concentration of ethanol; 4) the drinking of ethanol by the female HEP animals does not fluctuate during the estrous cycle; 5) neurochemical assays show differential profiles of 5-HT, dopamine, and their metabolites in different regions of the brain; 6) measures of activity using the elevated plus maze, open field, and cork gnawing reveal differences between genders of HEP rats and SD rats; and 7) the HEP animals are without phenotypically expressed abnormalities. Finally, one cardinal principle derived from this study revealed that the breeding strategy to develop high-ethanol-drinking rats centers on the use of multiple solutions of ethanol whereby the intakes of ethanol in concentration of 9% through 20% dictate the ultimate selection of breeding pairs over successive F generations. Further, it is concluded that because of an intense rise in ethanol drinking of the F1 generation of female HEP rats well above that of the parental SD female breeders, the complex genotypic characteristic of the male P rat is predominantly responsible for evoking ethanol drinking in female offspring.