Alcohol abuse, alcohol intolerance, alcohol dependence and other alcohol-related disabilities are some of the most challenging public health problems facing our modern-day society. The purpose of this comprehensive monograph is to review the available knowledge concerning the pharmacogenetic basis of alcohol sensitivity and its physiolgical implications and to synthesize the bulk of existing knowledge regarding metabolic features and biomedical disturbances related to alcoholism. The chapters cover a broad array of disciplines including an overview of historical and epidemiological aspects, biochemistry and molecular genetics of enzymes involved in alcohol metabolism, biochemical and neuropsychopharmacological effects of alcohol. Major emphasis is placed on the role of genetic factors in alcoholism. The experimental details are summarized and a comprehensive bibliography is included.

1 Introduction

2 Alcohol Metabolism: Biochemistry and Genetic Variations
2.1Absorption, Body Distribution, and Elimination of Ethanol
2.2 Biochemical Pathways of Ethanol Degradation
3 Alcohol-Metabolizing Enzymes and Acute Reactions to Alcohol
3.1Ethanol- and Acetaldehyde-Mediated Acute Response to Alcohol
3.2 Ethnic Differences in Acute Response to Alcohol 53
3.3 Mechanism of Alcohol Sensitivity
3.4 Racial-Ethnic Patterns of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
4Biochemical Aspects of Alcoholism
4.1 Alcohol-Related Metabolic Derangements
4.2 Metabolic Changes
4.3Changes in Alcohol-Metabolizing Enzymes in Alcohol-Related Disorders
4.4Biochemical Markers of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
5Neuropsychopharmacology of Alcoholism
5.1 Alcohol Effects in the CNS
5.2Addiction, Tolerance, and Dependence
5.3Metabolic Factors
6Genetic Factors in Alcoholism
6.1 Ethnic and Cultural Variables
6.2 Familial and Nonfamilial Alcoholism
6.3 Genetic Contributions
6.4Genetic and Environmental Interactions in Alcoholism
6.5Biological Mediators of Alcoholism
7Experimental Section
7.1Subjects and Materials
7.2Methods
References 145
Subject Index 179.