Tobacco smoking produces greater striatal dopamine release in G-allele carriers with mu opioid receptor A118G polymorphism.

Objective: To determine if carriers of the allelic expression of the G variant of the human mu opioid receptor (OPRM1) A118G polymorphism have greater increases in striatal dopamine (DA) release after tobacco smoking.

Methods: Nineteen of 20 genotyped male tobacco smokers, after overnight abstinence, smoked denicotinized (denic) and average nicotine (nic) containing tobacco cigarettes in a PET brain imaging study using [(11)C]raclopride.

Results: The right striatum had more free D(2) receptors than the left striatum pre- and post-tobacco smoking.