Perinatal fentanyl exposure drives enduring addiction risk and central amygdala gene dysregulation.

ABSTRACT: The use of fentanyl and other opioids during pregnancy is a pressing public health issue due to its association with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) and long-term neurobehavioral deficits. Human epidemiologic studies are confounded by both genetic and environmental factors that differ between exposed and unexposed children. We developed a novel rat model of perinatal fentanyl exposure in heterogeneous stock (HS) rats characterized by high genetic diversity, to investigate NOWS symptoms and its long-term effects on adult fentanyl self-administration, drug-seeking behavior, and central amygdala (CeA) transcriptomic changes, addressing a critical gap in understanding synthetic opioid impacts. Offspring born to fentanyl-exposed dams exhibited reduced survival, lower body weight, spo

SUBMITTER: Wood CP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12377289 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature