Functional and anatomical localization of mu opioid receptors in the striatum, amygdala, and extended amygdala of the nonhuman primate

The subregional distribution of mu opioid receptors and corresponding G‐protein activation were examined in the striatum, amygdala, and extended amygdala of cynomolgus monkeys. The topography of mu binding sites was defined using autoradiography with [3H]DAMGO, a selective mu ligand. In adjacent sections, the distribution of receptor‐activated G proteins was identified with DAMGO‐stimulated guanylyl 5′(γ‐[35S]thio)triphosphate ([35S]GTPγS) binding. Within the striatum, the distribution of [3H]DAMGO binding sites was characterized by a distinct dorsal–ventral gradient with a higher concentration of binding sites at more rostral levels of the striatum. [3H]DAMGO binding was further distinguished by the presence of patch‐like aggregations within the caudate, as well as smaller areas of very dense receptor binding sites, previously identified in human striatum as neurochemically unique domains of the accumbens and putamen (NUDAPs). The amygdala contained the highest concentration of [3H]DAMGO binding sites measured in this study, with the densest levels of binding noted within the basal, accessory basal, paralaminar, and medial nuclei. In the striatum and amygdala, the distribution of DAMGO‐stimulated G‐protein activation largely corresponded with the distribution of mu binding sites. The central and medial nuclei of the amygdala, however, were notable exceptions. Whereas the concentration of [3H]DAMGO binding sites in the central nucleus of the amygdala was very low, the concentration of DAMGO‐stimulated G‐protein activation in this nucleus, as measured with [35S]GTPγS binding, was relatively high compared to other portions of the amygdala containing much higher concentrations of [3H]DAMGO binding sites. The converse was true in the medial nucleus, where high concentrations of binding sites were associated with lower levels of DAMGO‐stimulated G‐protein activation. Finally, [3H]DAMGO and [35S]GTPγS binding within the amygdala, particularly the medial nucleus, formed a continuum with the substantia innominata and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, supporting the concept of the extended amygdala in primates. J. Comp. Neurol. 433:471–485, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.