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Dunn AD, Robinson SA, Nwokafor C, Estill M, Ferrante J, Shen L, Lemchi CO, Creus-Muncunill J, Ramirez A, Mengaziol J, Brynildsen JK, Leggas M, Horn J, Ehrlich ME, Blendy JA. Molecular and long-term behavioral consequences of neonatal opioid exposure and withdrawal in mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1202099. [PMID: 37424750 PMCID: PMC10324024 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1202099] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Infants exposed to opioids in utero are at high risk of exhibiting Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS), a combination of somatic withdrawal symptoms including high pitched crying, sleeplessness, irritability, gastrointestinal distress, and in the worst cases, seizures. The heterogeneity of in utero opioid exposure, particularly exposure to polypharmacy, makes it difficult to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms that could inform early diagnosis and treatment of NOWS, and challenging to investigate consequences later in life. Methods To address these issues, we developed a mouse model of NOWS that includes gestational and post-natal morphine exposure that encompasses the developmental equivalent of all three human trimesters and assessed both behavior and transcriptome alterations. Results Opioid exposure throughout all three human equivalent trimesters delayed developmental milestones and produced acute withdrawal phenotypes in mice reminiscent of those observed in infants. We also uncovered different patterns of gene expression depending on the duration and timing of opioid exposure (3-trimesters, in utero only, or the last trimester equivalent only). Opioid exposure and subsequent withdrawal affected social behavior and sleep in adulthood in a sex-dependent manner but did not affect adult behaviors related to anxiety, depression, or opioid response. Discussion Despite marked withdrawal and delays in development, long-term deficits in behaviors typically associated with substance use disorders were modest. Remarkably, transcriptomic analysis revealed an enrichment for genes with altered expression in published datasets for Autism Spectrum Disorders, which correlate well with the deficits in social affiliation seen in our model. The number of differentially expressed genes between the NOWS and saline groups varied markedly based on exposure protocol and sex, but common pathways included synapse development, the GABAergic and myelin systems, and mitochondrial function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia D. Dunn
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Shivon A. Robinson
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, United States
| | - Chiso Nwokafor
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Molly Estill
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Julia Ferrante
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Crystal O. Lemchi
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jordi Creus-Muncunill
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Angie Ramirez
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Juliet Mengaziol
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Julia K. Brynildsen
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Mark Leggas
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Jamie Horn
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Michelle E. Ehrlich
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Julie A. Blendy
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Ferrante JR, Dunn AD, Mengaziol J, Noreck J, Lemchi CO, Creus‐Muncunill J, Ehrlich ME, Blendy JA. Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome in Mice: Acute Molecular and Long‐Term Behavioral Consequences. FASEB J 2022. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.s1.r4002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia R. Ferrante
- PharmacologyPerelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA
| | - Amelia D. Dunn
- PharmacologyPerelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA
| | - Juliet Mengaziol
- PharmacologyPerelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA
| | - Julia Noreck
- PharmacologyPerelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA
| | - Crystal O. Lemchi
- PharmacologyPerelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA
| | | | | | - Julie A. Blendy
- PharmacologyPerelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA
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