Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 16, 2026

An Inexpensive, Scalable Behavioral Assay for Measuring Ethanol Sedation Sensitivity and Rapid Tolerance in Drosophila
Published on: April 15, 2015
Alcohol dependence and serotonin transporter functional polymorphisms 5-HTTLPR and rs25531 in an Italian population
Esterina Pascale1, Giampiero Ferraguti2, Claudia Codazzo3
1Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy esterina.pascale@uniroma1.it.
Aims:
The role of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) in alcohol dependence (AD) is still unclear. In this paper, we have evaluated the association of the SLC6A4 gene polymorphisms 5-HTTLPR and rs25531 in AD and assessed the polymorphic patterns both in alcoholics and in healthy people of an Italian population.
Methods:
Genotyping of the 5-HTTLPR (L/S) and rs25531 (A/G) polymorphisms of the SLC6A4 gene was performed on 403 alcoholics outpatients and 427 blood donors.
Results:
Comparing AD and control populations and taking into account statistical correction for multiple testing, we found no statistically significant differences for 5-HTTLPR (L/S) and rs25531 polymorphisms in terms of either genotypes or alleles frequencies. By univariate ANOVA, a statistically significant difference was found in the onset of AD: the mean age of onset resulted to be of 25.4 years in males in respect to 28.1 in females. In particular in males, the early AD onset was different, in a statistically significant manner, depending on the presence of at least one S or Lg allele (24.6 years) in respect to La homozygotes (27.5 years) (P = 0.03).
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that genetic factors contribute, together with gender and age, to the onset differences in alcohol-dependent phenotypes.
More Related Videos
07:31Murine Drinking Models in the Development of Pharmacotherapies for Alcoholism: Drinking in the Dark and Two-bottle Choice
Published on: January 7, 2019
05:40The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans
Published on: April 28, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Transporters: P-Glycoprotein and Solute Carrier Transporters
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu
Human Genetics
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Pharmacogenetics of Phase II Enzymes: N-acetyltransferase, Thiopurine S-methyltransferase, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase