Pharmacogenetic tools in the study of drug tolerance and dependence

A very brief review of the more common pharmacogenetic methods is presented. At appropriate places, references concerning the more detailed and technical publications available in the literature will be provided. The use of genetically defined populations of animals in research that is aimed at elucidating basic mechanisms underlying drug dependencies will continue to grow. The studies reviewed give a fair sampling of the kinds of information already ascertained using such methods. We hope that it suggests to investigators who do not currently exploit genetic methods that there may be relevant applications for their particular purposes. At the very least, we hope that a clear message is implicit in this review: the utility of the information available with genetically defined strains of animals is only as good as the degree of specification published.