Paternal preconception alcohol exposure imparts intergenerational alcohol-related behaviors to male offspring on a pure C57BL/6J background

While alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a highly heritable condition, the basis of AUD in families with a history of alcoholism is difficult to explain by genetic variation alone. Emerging evidence suggests that parental experience prior to conception can impact inheritance of complex behaviors in offspring via non-genomic (epigenetic) mechanisms. For instance, male C57BL/6J (B6) mice exposed to chronic intermittent vapor ethanol (CIE) prior to mating with Strain 129S1/SvImJ ethanol-na ïve females produce male offspring with reduced ethanol drinking preference, increased ethanol sensitivity, and increased BDNF expression in the ventral tegmental area (VTA).

Source: Alcohol - November 4, 2016 Category: Addiction Authors: Gregory R. Rompala, Andrey Finegersh, Michelle Slater, Gregg E. Homanics Source Type: research