Sex-specific transcriptional signatures of oxycodone persist during withdrawal and abstinence in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of heterogeneous stock rats.

ABSTRACT: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a major public health problem. Sleep and circadian disruptions are recognized as hallmarks of substance use disorders, often emerging during withdrawal and lasting into abstinence. Little is known about the impact of opioids on the brain's primary circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). We examined SCN transcriptomic changes in genetically diverse heterogeneous stock rats across different opioid physiological and behavioral states (naïve, oxycodone intoxication, acute withdrawal, and prolonged abstinence), alongside behavioral assessments. In females, intoxication and withdrawal altered pathways related to neurotransmission, circadian rhythms, and inflammation, while in males, changes involved immune regulation and DNA damage. During abstinence,

SUBMITTER: Delorme TC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12753004 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature