Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201.
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
J Neurosci. 2021 Apr 14;41(15):3400-3417. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2470-20.2020.
One consequence of the opioid epidemic are lasting neurodevelopmental sequelae afflicting adolescents exposed to opioids in the womb. A translationally relevant and developmentally accurate preclinical model is needed to understand the behavioral, circuit, network, and molecular abnormalities resulting from this exposure. By employing a novel preclinical model of perinatal fentanyl exposure, our data reveal that fentanyl has several dose-dependent, developmental consequences to somatosensory function and behavior. Newborn male and female mice exhibit signs of withdrawal and sensory-related deficits that extend at least to adolescence. As fentanyl exposure does not affect dams' health or maternal behavior, these effects result from the direct actions of perinatal fentanyl on the pups' developing brain. At adolescence, exposed mice exhibit reduced adaptation to sensory stimuli, and a corresponding impairment in primary somatosensory (S1) function. electrophysiology demonstrates a long-lasting reduction in S1 synaptic excitation, evidenced by decreases in release probability, NMDA receptor-mediated postsynaptic currents, and frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs), as well as increased frequency of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs). In contrast, anterior cingulate cortical neurons exhibit an opposite phenotype, with increased synaptic excitation. Consistent with these changes, electrocorticograms (ECoGs) reveal suppressed ketamine-evoked γ oscillations. Morphologic analysis of S1 pyramidal neurons indicate reduced dendritic complexity, dendritic length, and soma size. Further, exposed mice exhibited abnormal cortical mRNA expression of key receptors involved in synaptic transmission and neuronal growth and development, changes that were consistent with the electrophysiological and morphologic changes. These findings demonstrate the lasting sequelae of perinatal fentanyl exposure on sensory processing and function. This is the first study to show that exposure to fentanyl in the womb results in behavioral, circuitry, and synaptic effects that last at least to adolescence. We also show, for the first time, that this exposure has different, lasting effects on synapses in different cortical areas.
阿片类药物流行的一个后果是,在子宫内接触阿片类药物的青少年会出现持久的神经发育后遗症。需要一种具有转化相关性和发展准确性的临床前模型,以了解这种暴露导致的行为、回路、网络和分子异常。通过采用一种新的围产期芬太尼暴露临床前模型,我们的数据显示,芬太尼对感觉功能和行为有几种剂量依赖性的发育后果。新生雄性和雌性小鼠表现出戒断和感觉相关缺陷的迹象,这些缺陷至少持续到青春期。由于芬太尼暴露不会影响母鼠的健康或母性行为,这些影响是由于围产期芬太尼对幼鼠发育中的大脑的直接作用。在青春期,暴露的小鼠表现出对感觉刺激适应能力下降,以及初级体感(S1)功能相应受损。电生理学显示 S1 突触兴奋的持久减少,证据是释放概率、NMDA 受体介导的突触后电流和微小兴奋性突触后电流(mEPSC)的频率降低,以及微小抑制性突触后电流(mIPSC)的频率增加。相比之下,扣带前皮质神经元表现出相反的表型,突触兴奋增加。这些变化与电生理变化一致,皮层脑电图(ECoG)显示抑制氯胺酮诱导的γ 振荡。S1 锥体神经元的形态分析表明树突复杂性、树突长度和胞体大小降低。此外,暴露的小鼠表现出参与突触传递和神经元生长发育的关键受体的皮层 mRNA 表达异常,这些变化与电生理和形态变化一致。这些发现表明围产期芬太尼暴露对感觉处理和功能有持久的后遗症。这是第一项表明在子宫内接触芬太尼会导致行为、回路和突触效应至少持续到青春期的研究。我们还首次表明,这种暴露对不同皮质区域的突触有不同的、持久的影响。