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Quintanilla ME, Morales P, Santapau D, Ávila A, Ponce C, Berrios-Cárcamo P, Olivares B, Gallardo J, Ezquer M, Herrera-Marschitz M, Israel Y, Ezquer F. Chronic Voluntary Morphine Intake Is Associated with Changes in Brain Structures Involved in Drug Dependence in a Rat Model of Polydrug Use. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17081. [PMID: 38069404 PMCID: PMC10707256 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242317081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic opioid intake leads to several brain changes involved in the development of dependence, whereby an early hedonistic effect (liking) extends to the need to self-administer the drug (wanting), the latter being mostly a prefrontal-striatal function. The development of animal models for voluntary oral opioid intake represents an important tool for identifying the cellular and molecular alterations induced by chronic opioid use. Studies mainly in humans have shown that polydrug use and drug dependence are shared across various substances. We hypothesize that an animal bred for its alcohol preference would develop opioid dependence and further that this would be associated with the overt cortical abnormalities clinically described for opioid addicts. We show that Wistar-derived outbred UChB rats selected for their high alcohol preference additionally develop: (i) a preference for oral ingestion of morphine over water, resulting in morphine intake of 15 mg/kg/day; (ii) marked opioid dependence, as evidenced by the generation of strong withdrawal signs upon naloxone administration; (iii) prefrontal cortex alterations known to be associated with the loss of control over drug intake, namely, demyelination, axonal degeneration, and a reduction in glutamate transporter GLT-1 levels; and (iv) glial striatal neuroinflammation and brain oxidative stress, as previously reported for chronic alcohol and chronic nicotine use. These findings underline the relevance of polydrug animal models and their potential in the study of the wide spectrum of brain alterations induced by chronic morphine intake. This study should be valuable for future evaluations of therapeutic approaches for this devastating condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Elena Quintanilla
- Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7610658, Chile; (M.E.Q.); (P.M.); (M.H.-M.); (Y.I.)
| | - Paola Morales
- Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7610658, Chile; (M.E.Q.); (P.M.); (M.H.-M.); (Y.I.)
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7610658, Chile
- Research Center for the Development of Novel Therapeutic Alternatives for Alcohol Use Disorders, Santiago 7610658, Chile
| | - Daniela Santapau
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile; (D.S.); (A.Á.); (P.B.-C.); (J.G.); (M.E.)
| | - Alba Ávila
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile; (D.S.); (A.Á.); (P.B.-C.); (J.G.); (M.E.)
| | - Carolina Ponce
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7610658, Chile
| | - Pablo Berrios-Cárcamo
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile; (D.S.); (A.Á.); (P.B.-C.); (J.G.); (M.E.)
| | - Belén Olivares
- Center for Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile;
| | - Javiera Gallardo
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile; (D.S.); (A.Á.); (P.B.-C.); (J.G.); (M.E.)
| | - Marcelo Ezquer
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile; (D.S.); (A.Á.); (P.B.-C.); (J.G.); (M.E.)
| | - Mario Herrera-Marschitz
- Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7610658, Chile; (M.E.Q.); (P.M.); (M.H.-M.); (Y.I.)
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7610658, Chile
| | - Yedy Israel
- Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7610658, Chile; (M.E.Q.); (P.M.); (M.H.-M.); (Y.I.)
| | - Fernando Ezquer
- Research Center for the Development of Novel Therapeutic Alternatives for Alcohol Use Disorders, Santiago 7610658, Chile
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile; (D.S.); (A.Á.); (P.B.-C.); (J.G.); (M.E.)
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