Genetic control of alcohol deprivation effect in congenic mice

Male mice of A(4R) and AKM congenic resistant strains, differing in E alpha and D loci of H-2 major histocompatibility complex (MHC) only, were tested for cross-maze exploration and for behavior in unavoidable slip funnel situation. On the following 15 weeks the mice had free access to food, water, and 30% alcohol. On weeks 16-17 the individual alcohol and water intakes were measured before and after 3 days of alcohol deprivation to evaluate the alcohol deprivation effect (ADE), which is known to depend upon both genetic and environmental factors. Unlike AKMs, the A(4R)s displayed shorter latency to start cross-maze exploration, greater time of immobility, less time in avoidance attempts in the slip funnel, and demonstrated negative ADE: the short-term, postdeprivation decrease in alcohol intake. It is concluded that the ADE and some of its predictors depend upon E alpha, and/or D loci of the MHC. In the A(4R) strain, the individual correlation between the ADE and the number of immediate reentries, right, and left turns, differed significantly from zero and from the corresponding values in the AKM strain, suggesting a gene-environment interaction.