[Alcoholism and heredity: biological basis of the predisposition to alcoholism]. / Alkogolizm i nasledstvennost': biologicheskie osnovy predraspolozhennosti k alkogolizmu.

Authors critically review current data about biochemical-physiological factors mediating genetic predisposition to alcoholism. Results of genetic investigation of the ethanol and acetaldehyde metabolism and the facts about enzyme polymorphism of systems of the ethanol biotransformation and genetic polymorphism of particular enzymes are summarized. Data about possible determinants of nervous system sensitivity to ethanol action are considered. The investigation of genetic basis of phenomena imminent to alcoholism by use of laboratory animals is discussed.

[Acetylation of sulfadimezine and ethazole in rats]. / Atsetilirovanie sul'fadimezina i étazola u krys.

The paper is concerned with studies into acetylation of sulfadimezine (S) in Wistar, August and random-bred rats and into that of ethazole in Wistar rats. Age-associated differences in S acetylation were examined in random-bred animals and the effect of phenobarbital on S acetylation was investigated in Wistar and August rats. Interlinear differences as regards S acetylation were found to be absent in the presence of sexual dimorphism as to the sign under study: the females were disclosed to be rapid while males to be slow S acetylators. Administration of phenobarbital did not lead to appreciable changes in the rat acetylator phenotypes. However there was tendency towards retardation of S acetylation in both the strains and both sexes. No sexual dimorphism as regards S acetylation was found in sexually immature random-bred rats whose acetylator phenotypes do not differ from those of adult females, or the development of sexual dimorphism in sexually mature animals. No sexual dimorphism as regards ethazole acetylation was shown in Wistar rats.

[Sulfalene pharmacogenetics. II. The population genetic aspect]. / Farmakogenetika sul'falena. Soobshchenie II. Populiatsionno--geneticheskii aspekt.

Half-life of sulfalen, a new antibacterial drug, with the biotransformation, performed by means of microsomal acetyltransferase, has been studied in 53 individuals of Moscow Russian population. The absence of sex dimorphism for the trait studied is demonstrated. Distribution of individuals according to values of the pharmacokinetic parameter mentioned within the population is bimodal with the correlation of phenotypic frequencies of "rapid" and "slow" inactivators--72 and 28%. Possible causes of discrepancies between the observed sulfalen inactivator frequencies and similar data on isoniazid are discussed.

[Sulfalene pharmacogenetics. I. The genetic determination of the pharmacokinetic indices]. / Farmakogenetika sul'falena. Soobshchenie I. Geneticheskaia determinatsiia farmakokineticheskikh pokazatelei.

Genetic determination of pharmacokinetics of sulfalen, a new antibacterial drug, has been studied in 28 twin pairs of Moscow Russian population. In order to determine the degree of heritability of such pharmacokinetic parameters of sulfalen as t 1/2 (half-life); Vd and delta (apparent and specific volumes of distribution) and Co (apparent initial concentration) Holtsinger H-statistics values have been calculated, which are 0.891, 0.866, 0.766 and 0.797 respectively. Possible causes of discrepancies between these values and the coefficients of genetic determination G, calculated by decomposition of general phenotypical dispercion of the parameters via the main equation of quantitative traits of genetics are given (0.913, 0.762, 0.828, 0.856 in that order). The data obtained make it possible to assume that genetic determination t 1/2 of sulfalen is carried out within the system of monogenous interaction (HD = 0.91, HA = 0), that of Vd and Co--within the system of additive-polygenous interaction, while linear and non-linear effects contribute to delta determination (HD = 0.232, HA = 0.596).