Mu Opioid Receptor-Positive Neurons in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus Are Impaired by Morphine Abstinence.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Chronic opioid exposure leads to hedonic deficits and enhanced vulnerability to addiction, which are observed and even strengthen after a period of abstinence, but the underlying circuit mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, using both molecular and behavioral approaches, we tested the hypothesis that neurons expressing mu opioid receptors (MORs) in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) are involved in addiction vulnerability associated with morphine abstinence.

Methods

MOR-Cre mice were exposed to chronic morphine and then went through spontaneous withdrawal for 4 weeks, a well-established mouse model of morphine abstinence. We studied DRN-MOR neurons of abstinent mice using 1) viral translating ribosome affinity for transcriptome profiling, 2) fiber photomet

SUBMITTER: Welsch L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10851617 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature