Effects of Nicotine on Brain Opioid Receptors

April 9, 2019 updated by: University of Pennsylvania

Functional Characterization of OPRM1 A118G in Nicotine Dependence: IV Nicotine Study

A substantial body of evidence implicates the endogenous opioid system, and the mu opioid receptor (MOR) in particular, in the reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse, including nicotine. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the mu opioid receptor gene (OPRM1 Asp40) is associated with the ability to quit smoking, as well as nicotine reward and withdrawal symptoms. However, the precise mechanism through which this SNP influences nicotine dependence remains unresolved. This positron emission tomography (PET) study will examine whether this OPRM1 SNP alters MOR binding in response to nicotine in human smokers. Specifically, we will use [11 C]carfentanil PET imaging to assess the effects of intravenous (IV) nicotine versus saline (within-subject) on MOR binding potential in 24 chronic smokers genotyped prospectively and stratified by OPRM1 genotype.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Terminated

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The study uses a mixed factorial design with one between subject factor (OPRM1 genotype_: Asn40/Asn40 vs. Asn40/Asp40 or Asp40/Asp40) and one within-subject factor (IV nicotine vs. IV saline) to examine genotype by nicotine interactions on MOR binding potential (BP_ND ) assessed via PET imaging with [11 C]carfentanil. Twenty-four smokers (12 male, 12 female; 12 from each genotype group) will participate in two 90 minute PET sessions following overnight (14-hours) abstinence from nicotine. Genotype groups will be matched for age and sex . One week prior to the first PET session, there will be an adaptation session during which participants will receive IV saline followed 30 minutes later by IV nicotine (1 mg/70 kg) to ensure that they tolerate the procedure. In the PET sessions, participants will receive either IV nicotine (1 mg/70 kg) or saline (within-subject, double blind, counterbalanced). The primary outcomes will be BP_ND in ventral striatum and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Normally menstruating women will be scheduled for their sessions during the early follicular phase. Sessions will be separated by 1 month for all participants to reduce variability in MOR binding due to hormonal changes during females menstrual cycles. Participants will complete subjective measures of nicotine reward and craving at each session.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
15

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Pennsylvania
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
        • Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction, University of Pennsylvania

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 50 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

24 adult, non-treatment seeking smokers of European ancestry, reporting consumption of ≥10 cigarettes per day for at least the past 6 months.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Non-treatment seeking smokers of European ancestry
  • Between 18 and 50 years old
  • Smoking at least 10 cigarettes per day for at least the past 6 months
  • Able to provide informed consent
  • Fluent, English-speaking
  • Weight ≤ 300 lbs.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current enrollment or plans to enroll in a smoking cessation program, or use other smoking cessation medications in the next 2 months
  • Provide a Carbon Monoxide reading of ≤10 ppm at Medical screening.
  • History of substance abuse and/or currently receiving treatment for substance abuse (e.g., alcohol, opioids, cocaine, marijuana, or stimulants)
  • Current alcohol consumption that exceeds 25 standard drinks/week
  • Providing a breath alcohol concentration (BAC) reading of > 0.01 at any session.
  • Women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or lactating; all female subjects shall undergo a urine pregnancy test at each session
  • Women of child-bearing age must agree in writing to use an approved method of contraception
  • History or current diagnosis of psychosis, major current depression or bipolar disorder, ADHD, schizophrenia, or any Axis 1 disorder as identified by the MINI
  • Serious or unstable disease within the past 6 months (e.g., cancer [except melanoma], heart disease, HIV)
  • History of epilepsy or a seizure disorder
  • History or current diagnosis (last 6-months) of abnormal rhythms and/or tachycardia (>100 beats/minute); history or current diagnosis of COPD, cardiovascular disease (stroke, angina, coronary heart disease), heart attack in the last 6 months, uncontrolled hypertension (SBP>150 or DBP>90)
  • Any medical or neurological condition that might interfere with the distribution of the radiotracer as determined by the study MD
  • Current or past use (within past 12 months) of any medications containing naltrexone or other MOR antagonists (e.g., Revia, Trexan)
  • Current use or recent discontinuation (within last 14-days) of the following medications
  • Any form of smoking cessation medication (Zyban, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Chantix, NRT)
  • Recent (within last 2 weeks) or planned use of psychotropic medications (anti-psychotics, anti-depressants (tricyclic, SSRI, MAOI), anti-anxiety or panic medications, and stimulants (e.g., Provigil, Ritalin), and opiate-containing medications for chronic pain
  • Allergic response to any form of opioids or naloxone
  • Participants shall be instructed to refrain from using any study prohibited drugs (note - participants are allowed to take prescription medicines not in the exclusion list) throughout their participation in the study.
  • Self-reported history of head trauma or prior seizure, brain (or CNS) tumor
  • Self-reported history of claustrophobia (contraindicated for PET)
  • Inability to complete the baseline study procedures within four hours and/or correctly, as determined by the principal investigator.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
OPRM1 A118G AA genotype
Individuals with the AA genotype at the OPRM1 A118G polymorphism.
Drug: Nicotine
Participants shall receive an intravenous injection of nicotine during their practice session and one of their PET scans (double-blind). The dose of IV nicotine will be 1mg/70kg and the maximum dose that shall be injected is 1.2mg.
OPRM1 A118G AG or GG genotype
Individuals with the */G allele at the OPRM1 A118G polymorphism
Drug: Nicotine
Participants shall receive an intravenous injection of nicotine during their practice session and one of their PET scans (double-blind). The dose of IV nicotine will be 1mg/70kg and the maximum dose that shall be injected is 1.2mg.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
MOR binding potential
Time Frame: 5/31/2011
5/31/2011

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Subjective reward/liking and cravings to smoke
Time Frame: 5/31/2011
5/31/2011

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Pennsylvania

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Caryn Lerman, PhD, University of Pennsylvania

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 1, 2010

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 1, 2011

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 24, 2009

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 28, 2009

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 29, 2009

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 11, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 9, 2019

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 809187
  • R21DA027066 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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