Chronic inflammatory pain promotes place preference for fentanyl in male rats but does not change fentanyl self-administration in male and female rats.

ABSTRACT: The current opioid epidemic is a national health crisis marked by skyrocketing reports of opioid misuse and overdose deaths. Despite the risks involved, prescription opioid analgesics are the most powerful and effective medications for treating pain. There is a clear need to investigate the risk of opioid misuse liability in male and female adults experiencing chronic pain. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that chronic inflammatory pain would increase fentanyl intake, motivation to acquire fentanyl, and drug seeking in the absence of fentanyl in rats. Fentanyl intake, motivation for fentanyl, and drug seeking were tested under limited and extended access conditions using intravenous fentanyl self-administration. Fos activity in ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons fo

SUBMITTER: Barattini AE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10786182 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature