The μ-opioid receptor nonsynonymous variant 118A>G is associated with prolonged abstinence from heroin without agonist treatment
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Updated: Feb 21, 2026

A Procedure to Study the Effect of Prolonged Food Restriction on Heroin Seeking in Abstinent Rats
Published on: November 11, 2013
Orna Levran1, Einat Peles2,3, Matthew Randesi1
1The Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, NY, 10065, USA.
Aim:
This study assesses whether opioid-related gene variants contribute to reduced vulnerability to relapse to heroin in persons who are not treated with μ-opioid receptor agonist.
Methods:
Genotypes of 71 SNPs, in nine genes, were analyzed for association with long-term abstinence in former heroin-dependents of European/Middle Eastern ancestry, either without agonist treatment (n = 129) or in methadone maintenance treatment (n = 922).
Results:
The functional OPRM1 nonsynonymous SNP rs1799971 (118A>G) showed significant association with long-term abstinence (Ppermutation = 0.03, dominant model, OR: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.5-3.3).
Conclusion:
Since the stress axis is regulated in part by β-endorphin, this functional OPRM1 SNP may blunt the endogenous stress response and contribute to reduced vulnerability for relapse.
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