Differential effects of fentanyl compared to morphine on neuroinflammatory signaling in the brain in EcoHIV-infected mice.

ABSTRACT: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) pose significant challenges, particularly in individuals with comorbid opioid use disorder (OUD). Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, is a leading contributor to opioid-related fatalities, yet its effects in the context of HIV remain poorly understood. This study investigated the differential impacts of fentanyl and morphine on neuroinflammatory signaling, blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, and antiretroviral (ARV) brain accumulation in EcoHIV-infected mice. C57BL/6 mice were assigned to morphine, fentanyl, or saline treatment groups, with or without EcoHIV infection. Tight junction proteins claudin-5 and ZO-1 were measured in striatum and hippocampus via ELISA, while proinflammatory chemokines were analyzed by multiplex assay. In EcoHIV-in

SUBMITTER: Rademeyer K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12356723 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature