1
|
Alzu'bi A, Baker WB, Al-Trad B, Zoubi MSA, AbuAlArjah MI, Abu-El-Rub E, Tahat L, Helaly AM, Ghorab DS, El-Huneidi W, Al-Zoubi RM. The impact of chronic fentanyl administration on the cerebral cortex in mice: Molecular and histological effects. Brain Res Bull 2024; 209:110917. [PMID: 38428507 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2024.110917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Fentanyl, a fully synthetic opioid, is widely used for severe pain management and has a huge abuse potential for its psychostimulant effects. Unlike other opioids, the neurotoxic effects of chronic fentanyl administration are still unclear. In particular, little is known about its effect on the cerebral cortex. The current study aims to test the chronic toxicity of fentanyl in the mice model. METHODS Adult male Balb/c mice were chronically treated with low (0.05 mg/kg, i.p) and high (0.1 mg/kg, i.p) doses of fentanyl for 5 consecutive weeks, and various neurotoxic parameters, including apoptosis, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammatory response were assessed in the cortex. Potential histological as well as neurochemical changes were also evaluated. RESULTS The results of this study show that chronic fentanyl administration induced intense levels of apoptosis, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation in the cerebral cortex. These findings were found to be correlated with histopathological characteristics of neural degeneration and white matter injury. Moreover, fentanyl administration was found to reduce the expression of both NMDA receptor subunits and dopamine receptors and elevate the level of epidermal growth factor (EGF). CONCLUSION Fentanyl administration induced neurotoxic effects in the mouse cerebral cortex that could be primarily mediated by the evoked oxidative-inflammatory response. The altered expression of NMDA receptors, dopamine receptors, and EGF suggests the pernicious effects of fentanyl addiction that may end in the development of toxic psychosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ayman Alzu'bi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan.
| | - Worood Bani Baker
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan
| | - Bahaa Al-Trad
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan
| | - Mazhar Salim Al Zoubi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan
| | - Manal Isam AbuAlArjah
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan
| | - Ejlal Abu-El-Rub
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan
| | - Lena Tahat
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan
| | - Ahmed Mnz Helaly
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan; Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Doaa S Ghorab
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan; Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Waseem El-Huneidi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, the United Arab Emirates
| | - Raed M Al-Zoubi
- Surgical Research Section, Department of Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation & Men's Health, Doha, Qatar; Department of Biomedical Sciences, QU-Health, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar; Department of Chemistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O.Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan.
| |
Collapse
|