Is morphine dependence mediated exclusively by the Mu receptor?

Abstract

Regional cerebral glucose utilization (RCGU) and behavior during naloxone precipitated withdrawal were studied in rats made dependent on either sufentanil, a highly selective mu opiate agonist, or morphine. Changes in RCGU during withdrawal in 23 of 24 anatomically related limbic and brainstem structures were indistinguishable between rats dependent on morphine or sufentanil. Linear regression analysis indicated that RCGU changes during withdrawal in these two groups were highly correlated (r = 0.95). Withdrawal behaviors (autonomic signs of withdrawal, jumps, weight loss, and incidence of diarrhea) were likewise indistinguishable between the two groups. The correlations of both these measurements of dependence suggest that chronic occupation of mu opiate receptors alone is sufficient to produce dependence that is indistinguishable from morphine dependence.