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Abdulmalek S, Hardiman G. Genetic and epigenetic studies of opioid abuse disorder - the potential for future diagnostics. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2023; 23:361-373. [PMID: 37078260 PMCID: PMC10257799 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2023.2190022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a global problem that often begins with prescribed medications. The available treatment and maintenance plans offer solutions for the consumption rate by individuals leaving the outstanding problem of relapse, which is a major factor hindering the long-term efficacy of treatments. AREAS COVERED Understanding the neurobiology of addiction and relapse would help identifying the core causes of relapse and distinguish vulnerable from resilient individuals, which would lead to more targeted and effective treatment and provide diagnostics to screen individuals who have a propensity to OUD. In this review, we cover the neurobiology of the reward system highlighting the role of multiple brain regions and opioid receptors in the development of the disorder. We also review the current knowledge of the epigenetics of addiction and the available screening tools for aberrant use of opioids. EXPERT OPINION Relapse remains an anticipated limitation in the way of recovery even after long period of abstinence. This highlights the need for diagnostic tools that identify vulnerable patients and prevent the cycle of addiction. Finally, we discuss the limitations of the available screening tools and propose possible solutions for the discovery of addiction diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Abdulmalek
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, NI, UK
| | - Gary Hardiman
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, NI, UK
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), 135 Cannon Street, Charleston, SC 29425
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Ballester J, Baker AK, Martikainen IK, Koppelmans V, Zubieta JK, Love TM. Risk for opioid misuse in chronic pain patients is associated with endogenous opioid system dysregulation. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:20. [PMID: 35022382 PMCID: PMC8755811 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01775-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
µ-Opioid receptors (MOR) are a major target of endogenous and exogenous opioids, including opioid pain medications. The µ-opioid neurotransmitter system is heavily implicated in the pathophysiology of chronic pain and opioid use disorder and, as such, central measures of µ-opioid system functioning are increasingly being considered as putative biomarkers for risk to misuse opioids. To explore the relationship between MOR system function and risk for opioid misuse, 28 subjects with chronic nonspecific back pain completed a clinically validated measure of opioid misuse risk, the Pain Medication Questionnaire (PMQ), and were subsequently separated into high (PMQ > 21) and low (PMQ ≤ 21) opioid misuse risk groups. Chronic pain patients along with 15 control participants underwent two separate [11C]-carfentanil positron emission tomography scans to explore MOR functional measures: one at baseline and one during a sustained pain-stress challenge, with the difference between the two providing an indirect measure of stress-induced endogenous opioid release. We found that chronic pain participants at high risk for opioid misuse displayed higher baseline MOR availability within the right amygdala relative to those at low risk. By contrast, patients at low risk for opioid misuse showed less pain-induced activation of MOR-mediated, endogenous opioid neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens. This study links human in vivo MOR system functional measures to the development of addictive disorders and provides novel evidence that MORs and µ-opioid system responsivity may underlie risk to misuse opioids among chronic pain patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Ballester
- grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA ,grid.280807.50000 0000 9555 3716Mental Health Addiction Services, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Anne K. Baker
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Ilkka K. Martikainen
- grid.412330.70000 0004 0628 2985Department of Radiology, Medical Imaging Center, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Vincent Koppelmans
- grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Jon-Kar Zubieta
- grid.429302.e0000 0004 0427 6012Department of Psychiatry, Northwell Health, John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, Port Jefferson, NY USA
| | - Tiffany M. Love
- grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
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AlArjani A, Nasseef MT, Kamal SM, Rao BVS, Mahmud M, Uddin MS. Application of Mathematical Modeling in Prediction of COVID-19 Transmission Dynamics. ARABIAN JOURNAL FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2022; 47:10163-10186. [PMID: 35018276 PMCID: PMC8739391 DOI: 10.1007/s13369-021-06419-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The entire world has been affected by the outbreak of COVID-19 since early 2020. Human carriers are largely the spreaders of this new disease, and it spreads much faster compared to previously identified coronaviruses and other flu viruses. Although vaccines have been invented and released, it will still be a challenge to overcome this disease. To save lives, it is important to better understand how the virus is transmitted from one host to another and how future areas of infection can be predicted. Recently, the second wave of infection has hit multiple countries, and governments have implemented necessary measures to tackle the spread of the virus. We investigated the three phases of COVID-19 research through a selected list of mathematical modeling articles. To take the necessary measures, it is important to understand the transmission dynamics of the disease, and mathematical modeling has been considered a proven technique in predicting such dynamics. To this end, this paper summarizes all the available mathematical models that have been used in predicting the transmission of COVID-19. A total of nine mathematical models have been thoroughly reviewed and characterized in this work, so as to understand the intrinsic properties of each model in predicting disease transmission dynamics. The application of these nine models in predicting COVID-19 transmission dynamics is presented with a case study, along with detailed comparisons of these models. Toward the end of the paper, key behavioral properties of each model, relevant challenges and future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali AlArjani
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, AlKharj, 16273 Saudi Arabia
| | - Md Taufiq Nasseef
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Sanaa M. Kamal
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of medicine, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, AlKharj, 11942 Saudi Arabia
| | - B. V. Subba Rao
- Dept of Information Technology, PVP Siddhartha Institute of Technology, Chalasani Nagar, Kanuru, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh 520007 India
| | - Mufti Mahmud
- Department of Computer Science, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton, Nottingham, NG11 8NS UK
- Medical Technologies Innovation Facility, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton, Nottingham, NG11 8NS UK
- Computing and Informatics Research Centre, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton, Nottingham, NG11 8NS UK
| | - Md Sharif Uddin
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, AlKharj, 16273 Saudi Arabia
- Department of Mathematics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, 1342 Bangladesh
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Abstract
This paper is the forty-second consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2019 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY, 11367, United States.
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Nasseef MT, Ma W, Singh JP, Dozono N, Lançon K, Séguéla P, Darcq E, Ueda H, Kieffer BL. Chronic generalized pain disrupts whole brain functional connectivity in mice. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 15:2406-2416. [PMID: 33428113 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-020-00438-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a generalized chronic pain condition whose pathophysiology is poorly understood, and both basic and translational research are needed to advance the field. Here we used the Sluka model to test whether FM-like pain in mice would produce detectable brain modifications using resting-state (rs) functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Mice received intramuscular acid saline treatment, images were acquired at 7 T 5 days post-treatment, and pain thresholds tested 3 weeks post-scanning. Data-driven Independent Component Analysis revealed significant reduction of functional connectivity (FC) across several component pairs, with major changes for the Retrosplenial cortex (RSP) central to the default mode network, and to a lesser extent the Periaqueductal gray (PAG), a key pain processing area. Seed-to-seed analysis focused on 14 pain-related areas showed strongest FC reduction for RSP with several cortical areas (somatosensory, prefrontal and insular), and for PAG with both cortical (somatosensory) and subcortical (habenula, thalamus, parabrachial nucleus) areas. RSP-PAG FC was also reduced, and this decreased FC tended to be positively correlated with pain levels at individual subject level. Finally, seed-voxelwise analysis focused on PAG confirmed seed-to-seed findings and, also detected reduced PAG FC with the anterior cingulate cortex, increasingly studied in aversive pain effects. In conclusion, FM-like pain triggers FC alterations in the mouse, which are detected by rs-fMRI and are reminiscent of some human findings. The study reveals the causal fingerprint of FM-like pain in rodents, and indicates that both RSP and PAG connectional patterns could be suitable biomarkers, with mechanistic and translational value, for further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Taufiq Nasseef
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Weiya Ma
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jai Puneet Singh
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Naoki Dozono
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Kevin Lançon
- Montreal Neurological institute, Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, the Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, Montreal Neurological Institute, Dept. Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Philippe Séguéla
- Montreal Neurological institute, Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, the Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, Montreal Neurological Institute, Dept. Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Darcq
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Hiroshi Ueda
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Brigitte L Kieffer
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. .,Douglas Hospital Research Center, Perry Pavilion Room E-3317.1, 6875 boulevard LaSalle, Montreal, Quebec, H4H 1R3, Canada.
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μ-Opioid Receptors on Distinct Neuronal Populations Mediate Different Aspects of Opioid Reward-Related Behaviors. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0146-20.2020. [PMID: 32859725 PMCID: PMC7508564 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0146-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
μ-Opioid receptors (MORs) are densely expressed in different brain regions known to mediate reward. One such region is the striatum where MORs are densely expressed, yet the role of these MOR populations in modulating reward is relatively unknown. We have begun to address this question by using a series of genetically engineered mice based on the Cre recombinase/loxP system to selectively delete MORs from specific neurons enriched in the striatum: dopamine 1 (D1) receptors, D2 receptors, adenosine 2a (A2a) receptors, and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). We first determined the effects of each deletion on opioid-induced locomotion, a striatal and dopamine-dependent behavior. We show that MOR deletion from D1 neurons reduced opioid (morphine and oxycodone)-induced hyperlocomotion, whereas deleting MORs from A2a neurons resulted in enhanced opioid-induced locomotion, and deleting MORs from D2 or ChAT neurons had no effect. We also present the effect of each deletion on opioid intravenous self-administration. We first assessed the acquisition of this behavior using remifentanil as the reinforcing opioid and found no effect of genotype. Mice were then transitioned to oxycodone as the reinforcer and maintained here for 9 d. Again, no genotype effect was found. However, when mice underwent 3 d of extinction training, during which the drug was not delivered, but all cues remained as during the maintenance phase, drug-seeking behavior was enhanced when MORs were deleted from A2a or ChAT neurons. These findings show that these selective MOR populations play specific roles in reward-associated behaviors.
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Qu L, Wang Y, Li Y, Wang X, Li N, Ge S, Wang J, Wang GJ, Volkow ND, Lang B, Wang P, Wu H, Zeng J, Fu J, Li J, Zhang Y, Wang X. Decreased Neuronal Excitability in Medial Prefrontal Cortex during Morphine Withdrawal is associated with enhanced SK channel activity and upregulation of small GTPase Rac1. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:7369-7383. [PMID: 32641997 PMCID: PMC7330845 DOI: 10.7150/thno.44893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Neuroadaptations in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) play a role in the disruption of control-reward circuits in opioid addiction. Small Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium (SK) channels in the mPFC have been implicated in neuronal excitability changes during morphine withdrawal. However, the mechanism that modulates SK channels during withdrawal is still unknown. Methods: Rats were exposed for one week to daily morphine injections (10 mg·kg-1 s.c.) followed by conditional place preference (CPP) assessment. One week after withdrawal, electrophysiological, morphological and molecular biological methods were applied to investigate the effects of morphine on SK channels in mPFC, including infralimbic (IL), prelimbic (PrL) cortices and NAc (core and shell). We verified the hypothesis that Rac1, a member of Rho family of small GTPases, implicated in SK channel regulation, modulate SK channel neuroadaptations during opiate withdrawal. Results: One week after morphine withdrawal, the neuronal excitability of layer 5 pyramidal neurons in IL was decreased, but not in PrL. Whereas, the excitability was increased in NAc-shell, but not in NAc-core. In mPFC, the expression of the SK3 subunit was enhanced after one-week of withdrawal compared to controls. In the IL, Rac1 signaling was increased during withdrawal, and the Rac1 inhibitor NSC23766 disrupted SK current, which increased neuronal firing. Suppression of Rac1 inhibited morphine-induced CPP and expression of SK channels in IL. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential value of SK channels and the upstream molecule Rac1, which may throw light on the therapeutic mechanism of neuromodulation treatment for opioid dependence.
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Aversion No MOR: Mu-opioid receptors in habenular β4 neurons are key for naloxone aversion. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:243-244. [PMID: 31055593 PMCID: PMC6901489 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0404-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Boulos LJ, Ben Hamida S, Bailly J, Maitra M, Ehrlich AT, Gavériaux-Ruff C, Darcq E, Kieffer BL. Mu opioid receptors in the medial habenula contribute to naloxone aversion. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:247-255. [PMID: 31005059 PMCID: PMC6901535 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0395-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The medial habenula (MHb) is considered a brain center regulating aversive states. The mu opioid receptor (MOR) has been traditionally studied at the level of nociceptive and mesolimbic circuits, for key roles in pain relief and reward processing. MOR is also densely expressed in MHb, however, MOR function at this brain site is virtually unknown. Here we tested the hypothesis that MOR in the MHb (MHb-MOR) also regulates aversion processing. We used chnrb4-Cre driver mice to delete the Oprm1 gene in chnrb4-neurons, predominantly expressed in the MHb. Conditional mutant (B4MOR) mice showed habenula-specific reduction of MOR expression, restricted to chnrb4-neurons (50% MHb-MORs). We tested B4MOR mice in behavioral assays to evaluate effects of MOR activation by morphine, and MOR blockade by naloxone. Locomotor, analgesic, rewarding, and motivational effects of morphine were preserved in conditional mutants. In contrast, conditioned place aversion (CPA) elicited by naloxone was reduced in both naïve (high dose) and morphine-dependent (low dose) B4MOR mice. Further, physical signs of withdrawal precipitated by either MOR (naloxone) or nicotinic receptor (mecamylamine) blockade were attenuated. These data suggest that MORs expressed in MHb B4-neurons contribute to aversive effects of naloxone, including negative effect and aversive effects of opioid withdrawal. MORs are inhibitory receptors, therefore we propose that endogenous MOR signaling normally inhibits chnrb4-neurons of the MHb and moderates their known aversive activity, which is unmasked upon receptor blockade. Thus, in addition to facilitating reward at several brain sites, tonic MOR activity may also limit aversion within the MHb circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. J. Boulos
- McGill University, Faculty of Medicine, Douglas Research Centre, Montreal, Canada ,0000 0004 0638 2716grid.420255.4Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, Strasbourg, France ,0000 0001 2157 9291grid.11843.3fUniversité de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France ,0000 0001 2112 9282grid.4444.0Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U 1258 Illkirch, France
| | - S. Ben Hamida
- McGill University, Faculty of Medicine, Douglas Research Centre, Montreal, Canada ,0000 0004 0638 2716grid.420255.4Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, Strasbourg, France ,0000 0001 2157 9291grid.11843.3fUniversité de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France ,0000 0001 2112 9282grid.4444.0Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U 1258 Illkirch, France
| | - J. Bailly
- McGill University, Faculty of Medicine, Douglas Research Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - M. Maitra
- McGill University, Faculty of Medicine, Douglas Research Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - A. T. Ehrlich
- McGill University, Faculty of Medicine, Douglas Research Centre, Montreal, Canada ,0000 0004 0638 2716grid.420255.4Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, Strasbourg, France ,0000 0001 2157 9291grid.11843.3fUniversité de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France ,0000 0001 2112 9282grid.4444.0Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U 1258 Illkirch, France
| | - C. Gavériaux-Ruff
- 0000 0004 0638 2716grid.420255.4Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, Strasbourg, France ,0000 0001 2157 9291grid.11843.3fUniversité de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France ,0000 0001 2112 9282grid.4444.0Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U 1258 Illkirch, France
| | - E. Darcq
- McGill University, Faculty of Medicine, Douglas Research Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - B. L. Kieffer
- McGill University, Faculty of Medicine, Douglas Research Centre, Montreal, Canada ,0000 0004 0638 2716grid.420255.4Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, Strasbourg, France ,0000 0001 2157 9291grid.11843.3fUniversité de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France ,0000 0001 2112 9282grid.4444.0Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U 1258 Illkirch, France
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Nasseef MT, Singh JP, Ehrlich AT, McNicholas M, Park DW, Ma W, Kulkarni P, Kieffer BL, Darcq E. Oxycodone-Mediated Activation of the Mu Opioid Receptor Reduces Whole Brain Functional Connectivity in Mice. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2019; 2:264-274. [PMID: 32259060 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.9b00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Oxycodone is a potent medicinal opioid analgesic to treat pain. It is also addictive and a main cause for the current opioid crisis. At present, the impact of oxycodone on coordinated brain network activities, and contribution of the mu opioid receptor (MOR) to these effects, is unknown. We used pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging in mice to characterize MOR-mediated oxycodone effects on whole-brain functional connectivity (FC). Control (CTL) and MOR knockout (KO) animals were imaged under dexmedetomidine in a 7Tesla scanner. Acquisition was performed continuously before and after 2 mg/kg oxycodone administration (analgesic in CTL mice). Independent component analysis (data-driven) produced a correlation matrix, showing widespread oxycodone-induced reduction of FC across 71 components. Isocortex, nucleus accumbens (NAc), pontine reticular nucleus, and periacqueducal gray (PAG) components showed the highest number of significant changes. Seed-to-voxel FC analysis (hypothesis-driven) was then focused on PAG and NAc considered key pain and reward centers. The two seeds showed reduced FC with 8 and 22 Allen Brain Atlas-based regions, respectively, in CTL but not KO mice. Further seed-to-seed quantification showed highest FC modifications of both PAG and NAc seeds with hypothalamic and amygdalar areas, as well as between them, revealing the strongest impact across reward and aversion/pain centers of the brain. In conclusion, we demonstrate that oxycodone reduces brain communication in a MOR-dependent manner, and establish a preliminary whole-brain FC signature of oxycodone. This proof-of-principle study provides a unique platform and reference data set to test other MOR opioid agonists and perhaps discover new mechanisms and FC biomarkers predicting safer analgesics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Taufiq Nasseef
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Jai Puneet Singh
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Aliza T Ehrlich
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Michael McNicholas
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Da Woon Park
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Weiya Ma
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Praveen Kulkarni
- Center for Translational Neuro-Imaging, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Brigitte L Kieffer
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Darcq
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
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