Mu-opioid receptor-expressing neurons in the paraventricular thalamus modulate chronic morphine-induced wake alterations.

ABSTRACT: Disrupted sleep is a symptom of many psychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders. Most drugs of abuse, including opioids, disrupt sleep. However, the extent and consequence of opioid-induced sleep disturbance, especially during chronic drug exposure, is understudied. We have previously shown that sleep disturbance alters voluntary morphine intake. Here, we examine the effects of acute and chronic morphine exposure on sleep. Using an oral self-administration paradigm, we show that morphine disrupts sleep, most significantly during the dark cycle in chronic morphine, with a concomitant sustained increase in neural activity in the Paraventricular Nucleus of the Thalamus (PVT). Morphine binds primarily to Mu Opioid Receptors (MORs), which are highly expressed in the PVT. Translati

SUBMITTER: Eacret D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9984393 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature