title: Mu opioid receptor gene: new point mutations in opioid addicts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in mu opioid receptor gene and drug addiction has been shown in various studies. Here, we have evaluated the existence of polymorphisms in exon 3 of this gene in Iranian population and investigated the possible association between these mutations and opioid addiction.
  
  
  METHODS
  79 opioid-dependent subjects (55 males, 24 females) and 134 non-addict or control individuals (74 males, 60 females) participated in the study. Genomic DNA was extracted from volunteers' peripheral blood and exon 3 of the mu opioid receptor gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) whose products were then sequenced.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three different heterozygote polymorphisms were observed in 3 male individuals: 759T > C and 877G > A mutations were found in 2 control volunteers and 1043G > C substitution was observed in an opioid-addicted subject. Association between genotype and opioid addiction for each mutation was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It seems that the sample size used in our study is not enough to confirm or reject any association between 759T > C, 877G > A and 1043G > C substitutions in exon 3 of the mu opioid receptor gene and opioid addiction susceptibility in Iranian population.
authors.affiliation: Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Amin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dinarvand
authors.affiliation: Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goodarzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Genetics laboratory, Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nasim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vousooghi
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Branch, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacoeconomics and Pharmaceutical Administration, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Nanotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Rasoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dinarvand
authors.affiliation: Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fahimeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ostadzadeh
authors.affiliation: Eye Research Center, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ahad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khoshzaban
authors.affiliation: Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics, School of Cognitive Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Institute for Cognitive Science Studies, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad-Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Zarrindast
keywords: Addiction; OPRM1 Gene; Polymorphism