The G allele of the mu-opioid receptor gene is linked to craving f...( Alcohol-use disorders have a signi...)

• Alcohol-use disorders have a significant genetic component to their development.
• New findings show that heavy drinkers with the G allele of the A118G polymorphism of the mu-opioid receptor gene have greater cravings after alcohol exposure than heavy drinkers homozygous for the A allele.
• Individuals with the G allele may have more problems resisting the urge to drink.

The study of genes and their influence on alcohol consumption can operate on many different levels. Some studies examine how genes may interact with the environment, some look specifically at family history of alcohol dependence, and some zero in on "pieces" of genes and their influence on drinking. A new study has found that individuals carrying a G allele of the A118G polymorphism of the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) crave alcohol more than individuals with the more common A allele.

Results are published in the January issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

"The more sensitive mu-opioid receptor in individuals carrying a G allele of the A118G polymorphism may lead to different behavioral responses due to a different physiological functioning of the receptor," explained Esther van den Wildenberg, a researcher at the University of Maastricht and corresponding author for the study. "Beta-endorphins are released upon alcohol or drug intake. Different receptor functioning could affect functions such as drug-induced euphoria and analgesia which might influence the subjective experience of the drug and subsequent use."

Van den Wildenberg added that people may not realize that exposure to alcoholic cues is very common in society, for example, in supermarkets, on television, in bars, on billboards, in magazines, etc.

"We were interested whether heavy drinking individuals in other words, not yet alcohol dependent carrying a copy of the G allele would respond differently than 'standard' genotype individual
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3-Jan-2007