Differences in the association between kappa opioid receptors and pain among Black and White adults with alcohol use disorders.

Bart de Laat, Nabeel Nabulsi, Yiyun Huang, Stephanie S O'Malley, Evan D Morris, Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin

Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research 2022 Jul

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The relationship between alcohol and pain is complex. Associations between pain and alcohol use disorder (AUD) vary by race, but the underlying biological basis is not understood. We examined the association of the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) with responses to the cold-pressor test (CPT), before and after treatment with the opioid antagonist naltrexone, among individuals with AUD who self-identified as Black or White. Thirty-seven individuals (12 Black, 24 White, and 1 Multiracial) with AUD participated in two CPTs, separated by 1 week during which they received naltrexone 100 mg daily. During each CPT, pain reporting threshold (PRT), average pain increase rate (APIR), relative pain recovery (RPR), and alcohol craving were recorded. KOR availability was measured using [11 C]-LY2795050 positron emission tomography (PET) prior to treatment with naltrexone. Black participants reported higher PRT and APIR than White participants during the CPT before, but not after, naltrexone treatment. Among Black participants, KOR availability was positively associated with PRT and APIR before, but not after naltrexone. Greater KOR availability was associated with faster RPR for White, but not Black, participants. The CPT induced more alcohol craving in Black than White participants, particularly in individuals with low KOR availability, an effect that was not attenuated by naltrexone. KOR involvement and naltrexone effects on responses to the CPT were different between Black and White participants. These preliminary findings suggest that further exploration of the differences in the opioid system and pain among Black and White individuals with AUD and their relationship with naltrexone's effects is warranted. © 2022 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Citation

Bart de Laat, Nabeel Nabulsi, Yiyun Huang, Stephanie S O'Malley, Evan D Morris, Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin. Differences in the association between kappa opioid receptors and pain among Black and White adults with alcohol use disorders. Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research. 2022 Jul;46(7):1348-1357