EMBARGOED
FOR RELEASE UNTIL
August 10, 2007
APS Contact
Donna Krupa
Office:
(301) 634-7253
Cell: (703) 967-2751
dkrupa@the-aps.org
Does the Desire to Consume
Alcohol and Tobacco Come From Our Genetic Makeup?
Genome-wide search of 120 families finds genetic areas on chromosomes 1and 4
associated with alcohol, tobacco; sex-related differences also found
Austin, TX – Alcohol and smoking can be harmful,
if not deadly. While the desire for these substances can be due to
environmental cues, genomic factors also play an important role. The
etiology of these desires is multifactorial and a result of complex
interactions with the environment. Adoption and twin studies have shown that
the use of these substances is likely to be inherited. Such studies have
provided evidence that one’s sex can influence the genetic factors for
alcohol and tobacco use.
In an attempt to find the genomic determinants
underlying alcohol and tobacco use, researchers examined 120 families
(approximately 900 individuals). The researchers identified an area relating
to alcohol and tobacco use on chromosome 1. They found another area relating
to alcohol on chromosome 3. On chromosome 4, they uncovered an area relating
to smoking and found sex-specific loci inside some of these areas.
The results are based on the study entitled,
“Genome-wide Scan for Genomic Determinants of Alcohol and Tobacco Use in
French Canadian Families.” It was conducted by Majid Nikpay, O. Seda,
Johanne Tremblay and Pavel Hamet,
of the Research Centre CHUM, University of Montreal;
Ettore Merlo, École Polytechnique de Montréal,
Montréal; D. Gaudet, Department
of Medicine, University of Montreal Community Genomic Medicine Center and
Lipid Clinic, Chicoutimi, CN; and Theodore
Kotchen and Alan Cowley, of the Department of Physiology, Medical
College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Mr. Nikpay will discuss his team’s work at
the conference, Sex and Gender in Cardiovascular-Renal Physiology
and Pathophysiology. The meeting, sponsored by the American
Physiological Society (APS;
www.The-APS.org), is being held August 9-12, 2007 at the Hyatt
Regency Austin on Town Lake, Austin, TX.
The Study
The researchers investigated the genomic factors
underlying alcohol and tobacco use in a cohort of 120 families with at least
one sibling pair was affected by hypertension (high blood pressure) and
dyslipidemia (high lipids levels in the blood). (These variables were
important because the excessive use of alcohol and tobacco may cause
cardiovascular disorders like hypertension, so finding the genomic
determinants behind alcohol and tobacco use may point to novel mechanisms
for blood pressure modification by these substances.)
The volunteers were from the Saguenay-Lac-St. Jean region of Quebec,
Canada. The locale, which is relatively isolated, somewhat genetically
homogenous, and has kept genealogical records of its citizens since the 17th-century,
makes the study of complex genomic traits like these easier.
Phenotyping for alcohol and tobacco use was conducted
using questionnaires. The researchers used a dense map (three haplotypes per
cM; r2>0.4), generated by merging 58000 SNPs (single
nucleotide polymorphisms) and 437 microsatellite markers, to identify
sex-specific and non-specific linked and associated areas.
Summary of Results
The researchers reported the following results:
using the information from the questionnaires, the researchers
found sex differences in prevalence of alcohol (17.3% in females and 38.3%
in males) and tobacco (22.2% in females and 28% in males) use
a common locus (an identifiable location on a chromosome) for
alcohol and tobacco was found on chromosome (chr) 1. Also on chr 1, in an
area believed to be involved with diastolic blood pressure (DBP), they found
a locus for smoking.
on chr 3, in the area identified as being involved with
pre-math stress DBP, they found a locus for alcohol
on chr 4, inside gene GRID2, researchers found linked and
associated SNPs for smoking moreover they found associated SNPs inside these
gene for alcohol in males
female-specific candidate SNPs were found inside the HTR2C
gene for smoking.
Conclusions
According to Mr. Nikpay,
the lead author of the research, “We have found evidence of linkage and
association for several genomic regions harboring genes with potential
pathophysiological functions relating to alcohol and smoking. Our sex
specific findings may also play a role in the sex differences related to
alcohol and tobacco use.”
***
The
American Physiological Society (APS;
www.The-APS.org) has been an integral part of the scientific discovery
process since it was established in 1887. Physiology is the study of
how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function to create health or
disease.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: The APS meeting is being held
August 9-12, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency Austin on Town Lake, Austin, TX.
Members of the media are invited to attend the sessions. To schedule an
interview with Mr. Nikpay, please contact Donna Krupa at 301.634.7209
(direct dial), 703.967.2751 (cell) or
DKrupa@the-APS.org.
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