Impact of the COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism on the mu-opioid receptor system in the human brain: Mu-opioid receptor, met-enkephalin and beta-endorphin expression

► MOP receptor levels are significantly influenced by COMT Val108/158Met genotypes. ► Enkephalin peptide levels also indicate a genotype-dependent expression. ► Beta-endorphin is unlikely to contribute to changes of the MOP receptor system. ► The results support the hypothesis of an enkephalin related MOP receptor turnover. The Val108/158Met polymorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT) is known to interact with the function of various neuroreceptor systems in the brain. We have recently shown by post-mortem receptor autoradiography that the number of mu-opioid (MOP) receptor binding sites depends on the number of COMT Met108/158 alleles in distinct human brain regions. We now investigated COMT Val108/158Met related levels of the MOP receptor protein and its endogenous ligands met-enkephalin and beta-endorphin in the human frontal cortex, thalamus and basal ganglia. Semiquantitative immunostaining and in situ hybridization were applied in a cohort of 17 human brain tissues from healthy donors. MOP receptor protein levels paralleled previous ligand binding results with a significantly higher MOP receptor expression in the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus of COMT Met108/158 allele carriers. Also met-enkephalin peptide levels correlated with the genotype in this structure, with the lowest expression in COMT Met108/158 homozygous individuals. Beta-endorphin was not detectable in the cortex, basal ganglia or thalamus, and therefore is unlikely to contribute to changes of the MOP receptor system. These results confirm the impact of the COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism on the MOP receptor system and may support the hypothesis of an enkephalin related turnover of MOP receptors at least in some brain structures.