Behavioral and genetic markers of susceptibility to escalate fentanyl intake.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The "loss of control" over drug consumption, present in opioid use disorder (OUD) and known as escalation of intake, is well-established in preclinical rodent models. However, little is known about how antecedent behavioral characteristics, such as valuation of hedonic reinforcers prior to drug use, may impact the trajectory of fentanyl intake over time. Moreover, it is unclear if distinct escalation phenotypes may be driven by genetic markers predictive of OUD susceptibility.

Methods

Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats (n=63) were trained in a sucrose reinforcement task using a progressive ratio schedule. Individual differences in responsivity to sucrose were hypothesized to predict escalation of fentanyl intake. Rats underwent daily 1-h acquisition sessions for

SUBMITTER: Keady J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11661085 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature