COMMON QUANTITATIVE TRAIT LOCI FOR ALCOHOL-RELATED BEHAVIORS AND CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM NEUROTENSIN MEASURES - LOCOMOTOR ACTIVATION

We have analyzed LSXSS recumbinant inbred for ethanol-induced activity using 2.0 g/kg ethanol and a new method we call ethanol activation sl ope. The ethanol activation slope provides a robust dose-response meas ure of ethanol activation, independent of both activity after saline a nd the inhibitory effects of ethanol on locomotor activity. These beha vioral data were used in a quantitative trait locus analysis to map ch romosomal loci involved in ethanol-induced locomotor activity. We tent atively identified seven loci that mediate the low-dose stimulatory ef fect of ethanol and six loci involved in locomotion after 2.0 g/kg eth anol. Only one of the loci are in common between the two behaviors. We also compared the behavioral quantitative trait locus to those previo usly identified that are involved in regulating central nervous system neurotensin levels and neurotensin receptor densities. Six chromosoma l regions were identified that regulate at least one central nervous s ystem neurotensin measure and an ethanol-induced locomotor behavior. T he identification of loci controlling both central nervous system neur otensin levels or neurotensin receptor densities and ethanol-induced l ocomotor activity strengthens the proposal that neurotensin regulates, in part, ethanol-induced behaviors and central nervous system sensiti vity to ethanol.