Low μ-Opioid Receptor Status in Alcohol Dependence Identified by Combined Positron Emission Tomography and Post-Mortem Brain Analysis.

ABSTRACT: Blockade of the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) by naltrexone reduces relapse risk in a subpopulation of alcohol-dependent patients. Previous positron-emission-tomography (PET) studies using the MOR ligand [¹¹C]carfentanil have found increased MOR availability in abstinent alcoholics, which may reflect either increased MOR expression or lower endogenous ligand concentration. To differentiate between both effects, we investigated two cohorts of alcoholic subjects using either post-mortem or clinical PET analysis. Post-mortem brain tissue of alcohol-dependent subjects and controls (N=43/group) was quantitatively analyzed for MOR ([³H]DAMGO)-binding sites and OPRM1 mRNA in striatal regions. [¹¹C]carfentanil PET was performed in detoxified, medication free alcohol-depe

SUBMITTER: Hermann D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5240173 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature