Uhart Magdalena, Oswald Lynn, McCaul Mary E, Chong Rachel, Wand Gary S
Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2006 Oct;31(10):2255-63. doi: 10.1038/sj.npp.1301063. Epub 2006 Mar 22.
The present study was designed to determine whether stress hormones and subjective responses to a psychological stressor were different in nonalcoholic offspring from families with a history of alcohol dependence (family history positive, FHP) than in nonalcoholic offspring without a family history of alcohol dependence (family history negative, FHN). Forty-five healthy subjects (17 FHP, 28 FHN), between the ages of 18 and 29 years, completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). The TSST consisted of 5 min of public speaking followed by 5 min of mental arithmetic. Three baseline and five post-TSST blood samples were drawn. Pre- and post-TSST self-report measures of anxiety were obtained. Cortisol, adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), and prolactin significantly increased in response to the TSST in the entire study sample (F(1,187)=70.22, p<0.001, F(1,143)=33, p<0.001, and F(1,134)=14.37, p<0.001, respectively). Cortisol responses were influenced by an interaction between racial composition and family history of alcoholism (F(1,57)=4.50, p=0.038). Among Caucasian subjects, FHP subjects had greater cortisol response to the TSST compared to FHN subjects (F(1,57)=4.45, p=0.039). No family history effect was identified in African-American subjects. Adrenocorticotropin responses did not differ between FHP and FHN subjects. Adrenocorticotropin response was positively associated with baseline ACTH levels in FHN subjects (t=5.02, p=or<0.001), but not in FHP subjects. Prolactin responses did not differ between FHP and FHN subjects. Anxiety response scores (post-TSST scores minus pre-TSST scores) were higher in FHP subjects compared with FHN subjects (z=-2.67, p=0.007). In addition, anxiety response scores were positively associated with cortisol response levels to the TSST in FHN subjects (t=4.52, p<0.001). In contrast, anxiety responses were negatively associated with cortisol responses in FHP subjects (t=-2.30, p=0.024). Our findings are consistent with theories that greater reactivity to stress is associated with greater risks for alcoholism. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the association between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormonal response and the subjective perception of stress might be deranged in offspring of alcoholics.
本研究旨在确定有酒精依赖家族史的非酒精性后代（家族史阳性，FHP）与无酒精依赖家族史的非酒精性后代（家族史阴性，FHN）在应激激素和对心理应激源的主观反应方面是否存在差异。45名年龄在18至29岁之间的健康受试者（17名FHP，28名FHN）完成了特里尔社会应激测试（TSST）。TSST包括5分钟的公开演讲，随后是5分钟的心算。采集了3份基线血样和5份TSST后的血样。获取了TSST前后的焦虑自评量表。在整个研究样本中，皮质醇、促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）和催乳素对TSST的反应均显著增加（分别为F(1,187)=70.22，p<0.001；F(1,143)=33，p<0.001；F(1,134)=14.37，p<0.001）。皮质醇反应受种族构成与酒精中毒家族史之间相互作用的影响（F(1,57)=4.50，p=0.038）。在白种人受试者中，FHP受试者对TSST的皮质醇反应比FHN受试者更强（F(1,57)=4.45，p=0.039）。在非裔美国受试者中未发现家族史效应。FHP和FHN受试者的促肾上腺皮质激素反应无差异。FHN受试者的促肾上腺皮质激素反应与基线ACTH水平呈正相关（t=5.02，p≤0.001），但FHP受试者并非如此。FHP和FHN受试者的催乳素反应无差异。FHP受试者的焦虑反应得分（TSST后得分减去TSST前得分）高于FHN受试者（z=-2.67，p=0.007）。此外，FHN受试者的焦虑反应得分与对TSST的皮质醇反应水平呈正相关（t=4.52，p<0.001）。相比之下，FHP受试者的焦虑反应与皮质醇反应呈负相关（t=-2.30，p=0.024）。我们的研究结果与以下理论一致，即对应激的更高反应性与更高的酒精中毒风险相关。此外，研究结果表明，下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴激素反应与应激主观感受之间的关联在酗酒者后代中可能被打乱。
