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Bates JN, Baby SM, Getsy PM, Coffee GA, Hsieh YH, Knauss ZT, Dahan A, Bubier JA, MacFarlane PM, Mueller D, Lewis SJ. L-NAC and L-NAC methyl ester prevent and overcome physical dependence to fentanyl in male rats. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9091. [PMID: 38643270 PMCID: PMC11032344 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59551-0] [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: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
N-acetyl-L-cysteine (L-NAC) is a proposed therapeutic for opioid use disorder. This study determined whether co-injections of L-NAC (500 μmol/kg, IV) or its highly cell-penetrant analogue, L-NAC methyl ester (L-NACme, 500 μmol/kg, IV), prevent acquisition of acute physical dependence induced by twice-daily injections of fentanyl (125 μg/kg, IV), and overcome acquired dependence to these injections in freely-moving male Sprague Dawley rats. The injection of the opioid receptor antagonist, naloxone HCl (NLX; 1.5 mg/kg, IV), elicited a series of withdrawal phenomena (i.e. behavioral and cardiorespiratory responses, hypothermia and body weight loss) in rats that received 5 or 10 injections of fentanyl and similar numbers of vehicle co-injections. With respect to the development of dependence, the NLX-precipitated withdrawal phenomena were reduced in rats that received had co-injections of L-NAC, and more greatly reduced in rats that received co-injections of L-NACme. In regard to overcoming established dependence, the NLX-precipitated withdrawal phenomena in rats that had received 10 injections of fentanyl (125 μg/kg, IV) were reduced in rats that had received co-injections of L-NAC, and more greatly reduced in rats that received co-injections of L-NACme beginning with injection 6 of fentanyl. This study provides compelling evidence that co-injections of L-NAC and L-NACme prevent the acquisition of physical dependence and overcome acquired dependence to fentanyl in male rats. The higher efficacy of L-NACme is likely due to its greater cell penetrability in brain regions mediating dependence to fentanyl and interaction with intracellular signaling cascades, including redox-dependent processes, responsible for the acquisition of physical dependence to fentanyl.
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Affiliation(s)
- James N Bates
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Atelerix Life Sciences Inc., 300 East Main Street, Suite 202, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Santhosh M Baby
- Section of Biology, Galleon Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Horsham, PA, USA
- Translational Sciences Treatment Discovery, Galvani Bioelectronics, Inc, 1250 S Collegeville Rd, Collegeville, PA, USA
| | - Paulina M Getsy
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology, Allergy, and Immunology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Gregory A Coffee
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology, Allergy, and Immunology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Yee-Hsee Hsieh
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Zackery T Knauss
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Albert Dahan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Peter M MacFarlane
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology, Allergy, and Immunology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Devin Mueller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Stephen J Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology, Allergy, and Immunology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Functional Electrical Stimulation Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology, Allergy and Immunology, School of Medicine,, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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