"Tranq-Dope" Overdose and Mortality: Lethality Induced by Fentanyl and Xylazine.

ABSTRACT: The recreational use of fentanyl in combination with xylazine (i.e., "tranq-dope") represents a rapidly emerging public health threat characterized by significant toxicity and mortality. This study quantified the interactions between these drugs on lethality and examined the effectiveness of potential rescue medications to prevent a lethal overdose. Male and female mice were administered acute doses of fentanyl, xylazine, or their combination via intraperitoneal injection, and lethality was determined 30, 60, 90, 120, and 1440 min (24 hr) after administration. Both fentanyl and xylazine produced dose-dependent increases in lethality when administered alone. A nonlethal dose of fentanyl (56 mg/kg) produced an approximately 5-fold decrease in the estimated LD₅₀ for xylazine (i.e.,

SUBMITTER: Smith MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10557575 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature