Dataset Information

The genetic components of alcohol and nicotine co-addiction: from genes to behavior.

ABSTRACT: Co-occurrence of alcohol and nicotine addiction in humans is well documented and there is good evidence that common genes may contribute to both disorders. Although genetic factors contributing to tobacco and alcohol problem use have been well established through adoption, twin and family studies, specific genes remain to be identified and their mode of action elucidated. Recent work from human genetics studies has provided evidence that neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) genes may have a role in mediating early behaviors that are risk factors for alcohol and nicotine dependence, such as age of initiation and early subjective responses to the drugs. Converging evidence suggests that the dopaminergic system is likely to be important in mediating the pleasurable feelings of reward when activated by nicotine and/or alcohol consumption. The nAChRs are important components of the dopaminergic reward system because some of the receptors have been shown to activate the release of dopamine, and mice lacking genes for specific nAChR gene subunits show altered behavioral responses to nicotine and alcohol. Furthermore, complex interactions between other neurotransmitter circuits including GABA, glutamate and serotonin may be modulated by nAChRs, leading researchers to study genes involved in neurobiology shared by different drugs. Future studies aimed at understanding the variation among these genes, and their corresponding functional implications, will help elucidate how natural variants in nicotinic receptor genes contribute to these common co-morbid disorders.

SUBMITTER: Schlaepfer IR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2600802 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The genetic components of alcohol and nicotine co-addiction: from genes to behavior.

Schlaepfer Isabel R IR Hoft Nicole R NR Ehringer Marissa A MA

Current drug abuse reviews 20080601 2

Co-occurrence of alcohol and nicotine addiction in humans is well documented and there is good evidence that common genes may contribute to both disorders. Although genetic factors contributing to tobacco and alcohol problem use have been well established through adoption, twin and family studies, specific genes remain to be identified and their mode of action elucidated. Recent work from human genetics studies has provided evidence that neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) genes m ...[more]

PMID: 19492010

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Project description:Background: The incidence of alcohol and tobacco co-abuse is as high as 80%. The molecular mechanism underlying this comorbidity is virtually unknown but interactions between these drugs have important implications for the development of, and recovery from drug dependence. Methods: We investigated the effects of chronic tobacco and alcohol abuse and the interaction of the two behaviours on global gene expression in the human nucleus accumbens using cDNA microarrays and 20 alcoholic and control cases, with and without smoking comorbidity. Changes in gene expression were established by two-way ANOVA. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering was utilized to probe the strength of the data sets. Results: Subjecting the data sets derived from microarray gene expression screening to unsupervised hierarchical clustering tied the cases into distinct groups. When considering all alcohol-responsive genes, alcoholics were separated from non alcoholics with the exception of one control case. All smokers were distinguished from non smokers based on similarity in expression of smoking-sensitive genes. In the nucleus accumbens, alcohol-responsive genes were associated with transcription, lipid metabolism and signalling. Smoking-sensitive genes were predominantly assigned to functional groups concerned with RNA processing and the endoplasmic reticulum. Both drugs influenced the expression of genes involved in matrix remodelling, proliferation and cell morphogenesis. Additionally, a gene set encoding proteins involved in the canonical pathway ‘regulation of the actin cytoskeleton’ was induced in response to alcohol and tobacco co-abuse and included. Conclusions: The region-specific modulation of alcohol-sensitive gene expression by smoking may have important consequences for alcohol-induced aberrations within the mesolimbic dopaminergic system. The data set contained individual RNA samples extracted from the nucleus accumbens from 5 non smoking non drinking control case, 5 non smoking alcoholics, 5 non drinking smokers, and 5 smoking alcoholics. An aliquot if each sample was combined to generate a reference pool. Each sample was amplified individually and labelled with Cy3 in the process, the reference samples was amplified and labelled with Cy5. Each sample was hybridised competitively against the reference sample to 1 array.

Project description:PurposeNicotine and alcohol-containing products are some of the most commonly used substances of abuse and are both leading causes of preventable death. These substances also have significant interactions that have additive and, in some cases, multiplicative effects on the health consequences of their use. Thus, to reduce these negative consequences, it is important to understand the abuse liability of nicotine and alcohol in combination, especially in the most relevant use cases among those who are most vulnerable. Specifically, as tobacco cigarette use is continually decreasing, vaping is quickly replacing cigarettes as the primary mode of nicotine use. This pattern is especially true in adolescent populations in which vaping has grown considerably. Particularly concerning is that adolescents are more vulnerable than adults to the negative consequences of substance use. It is therefore imperative to revisit the literature as it relates to the rising state of co-use of vaping products with alcohol. Here, we review the clinical outcomes of nicotine and alcohol co-use as they relate to the abuse liability of each individually. Special attention is paid to adolescent findings, where available, as well as investigations that use nontobacco nicotine products as these may more accurately reflect the more recent trends of co-use.ImplicationsThough nicotine alone has previously been considered a proxy for tobacco and tobacco cigarette use, combustible routes of administration have been decreasing. They are, instead, being replaced by e-cigarettes that do not involve other tobacco constituents and contain additional nonnicotine constituents of their own. Unfortunately, the literature remains limited with regard to e-cigarettes and their interactions with other substances, especially their prevalent co-use with alcohol. This review attempts to discuss the current literature on nicotine and alcohol co-use in the context of the vaping epidemic, predominantly focusing on addiction-related outcomes and why e-cigarette use may be unique.

Dataset Information

The genetic components of alcohol and nicotine co-addiction: from genes to behavior.

Publications

The genetic components of alcohol and nicotine co-addiction: from genes to behavior.

Similar Datasets

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