Tipsy Alcohol Gene CYP2E1 Discovered
This is an interesting news for those wanting to get rid of their alcohol addiction. A tipsy alcohol gene has been discovered that may offer some protection against alcoholism.
Experts say they have found a “tipsy” gene called CYP2E1 that explains why some people feel alcohol’s effects quicker than others.
Lead researcher Professor Kirk Wilhelmsen said: “Obviously we are a long way off having a treatment, but the gene we have found tells us a lot about how alcohol affects the brain.”
Most of the alcohol people consume is broken down in the liver, but some is metabolised in the brain by an enzyme which the CYP2E1 gene provides coded instructions for.
People who have the “tipsy” version of CYP2E1 break down alcohol more readily, which explains why they feel the effects of alcohol much quicker than others.
The researchers made their discovery by studying more than 200 pairs of students who were siblings and who had one alcohol-dependent parent but who did not have a drink problem themselves.
They gave the students a mixture of grain alcohol and soda that was equivalent to about three average alcoholic drinks. At regular intervals the students were then asked whether they felt drunk, sober, sleepy or awake.
The researchers then compared the findings with gene test results from the students.
This revealed that CYP2E1 on chromosome 10 appears to dictate whether a person can hold their drink better than others.
Professor Wilhelmsen says more research is now needed to see if the findings could be used to make new treatments to tackle alcohol addiction.