# Identification of gene variants for alcohol analgesia

> **NIH NIH R01** · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $516,760

## Abstract

Evidence of significant co-occurrence between pain and alcohol consumption are
emerging. There is also indication that alcohol can induce acute analgesia with cross-
sectional evidence that some individuals may be motivated to use alcohol to cope with
pain. However, potential moderators and mechanisms of action remain largely
uncharacterized and poorly understood. This proposal will focus on examining potential
pharmacological and genetic mechanisms mediating the alcohol-pain connection using
the mouse BXD recombinant inbred (RI) panel. The primary objective of this proposal is
to identify novel genetic factors that contribute to alcohol acute analgesic effects and
development of tolerance in mice. We observed for the first time strain differences
between C57BL6/J and DBA/2J for alcohol-induced antinociceptive effects in the hot-
plate test after oral administration. In Aim 1, we will examine and characterize alcohol’s
analgesic properties in acute pain models after oral dosing in the mouse. In Aim 2, we
will use BXD RI lines to map genomic regions, or QTLs, that are causally associated
with susceptibility versus resilience to alcohol effects and the development of tolerance
in the hot-plate test. In Aim 3, we will identify changes in the transcriptome associated
with acute analgesic phenotype and tolerance of alcohol. We will measure changes in
gene expression in relevant neuronal tissues (amygdala, periaqueductal grey and
prefrontal cortex) associated with alcohol initial sensitivity and tolerance in extreme RI
strains. In Aim 4, we will validate candidate quantitative trait genes and functional
variants identified and ranked by Aims 2-3.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10125067
- **Project number:** 5R01AA027175-03
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** M. Imad Damaj
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $516,760
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-05-20 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10125067

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10125067, Identification of gene variants for alcohol analgesia (5R01AA027175-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10125067. Licensed CC0.

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