Mu Opioid Receptor Binding Correlates with Nicotine Dependence and Reward in Smokers

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 9; no. 12; p. e113694
• Main Authors: Kuwabara, Hiroto, Heishman, Stephen J., Brasic, James R., Contoreggi, Carlo, Cascella, Nicola, Mackowick, Kristen M., Taylor, Richard, Rousset, Olivier, Willis, William, Huestis, Marilyn A., Concheiro, Marta, Wand, Gary, Wong, Dean F., Volkow, Nora D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 10.12.2014; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Addictions; Adult; Alcohol; Binding; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Brain; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - drug effects; Brain - metabolism; Brain research; Carbon Radioisotopes; Cigarette smoking; Cigarettes; Correlation analysis; Cortex (frontal); Cortex (temporal); Dopamine; Drug abuse; Drug addiction; Drug dependence; Endogenous opioids; Female; Fentanyl - analogs & derivatives; Human subjects; Humans; Male; Medical imaging; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Narcotics; Neuroimaging; Neurosciences; Nicotine; Nicotine - administration & dosage; Nicotine - blood; Nicotinic Agonists - administration & dosage; Nicotinic Agonists - blood; Opioid receptors (type mu); Positron emission; Positron emission tomography; Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Radiology; Radiopharmaceuticals; Receptors; Receptors, Opioid, mu - metabolism; Reinforcement; Reward; Science; Self Report; Severity of Illness Index; Smokers; Smoking; Smoking - metabolism; Smoking - psychology; Temporal lobe; Tobacco Use Disorder - diagnostic imaging; Tobacco Use Disorder - metabolism; Tobacco Use Disorder - psychology; Tomography; Young Adult; United States > US; Baltimore Maryland

The rewarding effects of nicotine are associated with activation of nicotine receptors. However, there is increasing evidence that the endogenous opioid system is involved in nicotine's rewarding effects. We employed PET imaging with [11C]carfentanil to test the hypotheses that acute cigarette...