The interaction of genetics and the environment in alcoholism

Male, but not female, alcoholics have been shown to inherit an abnormal brain chemical balance that increases their risk of developing alcoholism. The same inherited chemical balance and alcoholism risk has been found in male C57/ mice. Female C57/ mice have not been tested. Do stress and genetic factors interact in C57/ females? To find out twenty female C57/ mice were randomly placed in a stress or non-stress group. Light was used as a stressor. Estrus and alcohol consumption were recorded daily. The data was statistically adjusted to remove the nonsignificant variation attributed to estrus and showed significant differences in stress, non-stress consumption. Both groups of subjects consumed less than their male conspecifics have in other earlier studies.