Variation at the rat Crhr1 locus and sensitivity to relapse into alcohol seeking induced by environmental stress.

ABSTRACT: Alcoholism is a chronic relapsing disorder with substantial heritability. Uncovering gene-environment interactions underlying this disease process can aid identification of novel treatment targets. Here, we found a lowered threshold for stress-induced reinstatement of alcohol seeking in Marchigian-Sardinian Preferring (msP) rats genetically selected for high alcohol preference. In situ hybridization for a panel of 20 stress-related genes in 16 brain regions was used to screen for differential gene expression that may underlie this behavioral phenotype. An innate up-regulation of the Crhr1 transcript, encoding the corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRH-R1), was found in several limbic brain areas of msP rats genetically selected for high alcohol preference, was associated with gene

SUBMITTER: Hansson AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1622806 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature