MicroRNA expression levels in the nucleus accumbens correlate with morphine-taking but not morphine-seeking behaviour in male rats.

ABSTRACT: A powerful motivation to seek opioids remains after drug cessation and intensifies during extended periods of abstinence. Unfortunately, biomarkers associated with continued drug seeking have not been described. Moreover, previous studies have focused on the effects of early abstinence with little exploration into the long-term drug-induced mechanisms that occur after extended abstinence. Here we demonstrated that 30 days (D) of forced abstinence results in a time-dependent increase in morphine seeking in a rat model of morphine self-administration (SA). We measured expression of known drug-responsive microRNAs (miRNAs) in the nucleus accumbens, an area critical for reward-related plasticity, during early or late abstinence in animals that underwent either a cue-induced relapse test or no

SUBMITTER: Gillespie A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9314918 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature