Alcoholism is an etiologically and clinically heterogeneous disorder in which compulsive alcohol seeking and use represent core symptoms (McLellan, et al., 1992). While inheritance plays a significant role in individual vulnerability to developing alcohol abuse (Sigvardsson, et al., 1996; Lovinger and Crabbe, 2005), chronic exposure to alcohol and alcohol intoxication is a necessary condition for the development of alcoholism. Genetic and environmental factors have long been recognized as playing a significant role in shaping alcohol abuse, though the interaction between these factors is still not well understood.
