Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
Association of the kappa-opioid system with alcohol dependence
X Xuei1, D Dick, L Flury-Wetherill
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. xxuei@iupui.edu
Abstract:
Opioid receptors and their endogenous peptide ligands play important roles in the reward and reinforcement of drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and alcohol. The binding of dynorphins to the kappa-opioid receptor has been shown to produce aversive states, which may prevent the development of reinforcement. We genotyped SNPs throughout OPRK1, encoding the kappa-opioid receptor, and PDYN, which encodes its ligand prodynorphin, in a group of 1860 European American individuals from 219 multiplex alcohol dependent families. Family-based analyses demonstrated associations between alcohol dependence and multiple SNPs in the promoter and 3' end of PDYN, and in intron 2 of OPRK1. Haplotype analyses further supported the association of PDYN. Thus, variations in the genes encoding both the kappa-opioid receptor and its ligand, OPRK1 and PDYN, are associated with the risk for alcohol dependence; this makes biological sense as variations in either should affect signaling through the kappa-opioid system.
More Related Videos
09:29Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods
Published on: August 4, 2022
05:40The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans
Published on: April 28, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Opioid Receptors: Overview
Analgesia and Pain Management
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Depressants
Alcohol is a common depressant that can induce a sense of relaxation and reduced inhibition at low doses. Contrary to its occasional...
Drug Dependence