Project description:The development of substance use disorder (SUD) is a complex process involving multiple neurocircuitries and brain regions. The amygdala is a region that mediates the withdrawal effect as well as anxiety and depression-like behaviors. However, the transcriptional changes in each cell type during SUD is largely unknown. Here we performed single-cell RNA sequencing and classified all cell types in the mouse amygdala under opioid dependence and withdrawal states. Our data revealed distinct changes in key biological processes, such as immune response, inflammation, synaptic transmission, and mitochondrial respiration in different cell populations. Dramatic differences were unraveled in the transcriptional profiles between dependence and withdrawal states. This report is the first single-cell RNA sequencing dataset from the amygdala under opioid dependence and withdrawal conditions, providing unique insights in understanding brain alterations during SUD, especially at the molecular and cellular levels.
Project description:Opioids analgesics are frequently prescribed in the United States and worldwide. However, serious side effects such as addiction, immunosuppression and gastrointestinal symptoms limit their use. It has been recently demonstrated that morphine treatment results in significant disruption in gut barrier function leading to increased translocation of gut commensal bacteria. Further study indicated distinct alterations in the gut microbiome and metabolome following morphine treatment, contributing to the negative consequences associated with opioid use. However, it is unclear how opioids modulate gut homeostasis in the context of a hospital acquired bacterial infection. In the current study, a mouse model of C. rodentium infection was used to investigate the role of morphine in the modulation of gut homeostasis in the context of a hospital acquired bacterial infection. Citrobacter rodentium is a natural mouse pathogen that models intestinal infection by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) and causes attaching and effacing lesions and colonic hyperplasia. Morphine treatment resulted in 1) the promotion of C. rodentium systemic dissemination, 2) increase in virulence factors expression with C. rodentium colonization in intestinal contents, 3) altered gut microbiome, 4) damaged integrity of gut epithelial barrier function, 5) inhibition of C. rodentium-induced increase in goblet cells, and 6) dysregulated IL-17A immune response. This is the first study to demonstrate that morphine promotes pathogen dissemination in the context of intestinal C. rodentium infection, indicating morphine modulates virulence factor-mediated adhesion of pathogenic bacteria and induces disruption of mucosal host defense during C. rodentium intestinal infection in mice. This study demonstrates and further validates a positive correlation between opioid drug use/abuse and increased risk of infections, suggesting over-prescription of opioids may increase the risk in the emergence of pathogenic strains and should be used cautiously. Therapeutics directed at maintaining gut homeostasis during opioid use may reduce the comorbidities associated with opioid use for pain management.
Project description:Opioid abuse poses significant risk to individuals in the United States and epigenetic changes are a leading potential biomarker of opioid abuse. Current evidence, however, is mostly limited to candidate gene analysis in whole blood. Here, we provide Illumina HumanMethylationEPIC array data generated in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex tissue from 153 deceased invidiuals: 72 who died of acute opioid intoxication, 53 psychiatric controls, and 28 normal controls. Using these data, we conducted an epigenome-wide association study and identified one CpG site within a gene (NTN1) that may be related to opioid use. We also detected accelerated PhenoAge in opioid samples compared to control samples.
Project description:Opioid use during pregnancy can lead to negative infant health outcomes, including neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). NOWS comprises gastrointestinal, autonomic nervous system, and neurological dysfunction that manifest during spontaneous withdrawal. Current treatments involve non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions, however, there is no one standardized approach, in part because of variability in NOWS severity. To effectively model NOWS traits in mice, we used a third trimester-approximate opioid exposure paradigm, where neonatal inbred FVB/NJ and outbred Carworth Farms White (CFW) pups were injected twice-daily with morphine (10-15 mg/kg, s.c.) or saline (0.9%, 20 ul/g, s.c.) from postnatal day (P) one to P14. We observed reduced body weight gain, hypothermia, thermal hyperalgesia, and increased ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). Neonatal USVs are emitted exclusively in isolation to communicate distress and thus serve as a model behavior for affective states. On P14, we observed altered USV syllable profiles during spontaneous morphine withdrawal, including an increase in Complex 3 syllables in FVB/NJ females (but not males) and in CFW mice of both sexes. Brainstem transcriptomics revealed an upregulation of the kappa opioid receptor (Oprk1), whose activation has previously been shown to contribute to withdrawal-induced dysphoria. Treatment with the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) antagonist, nor-BNI (30 mg/kg, s.c.), significantly reduced USV emission in FVB/NJ females, but not FVB/NJ males during spontaneous morphine withdrawal. Furthermore, treatment with the KOR agonist, U50,488h (0.625 mg/kg, s.c.), was sufficient to increase USV emission on P10 (both sexes) and on P14 (females only) in FVB/NJ mice. Together, these results indicate a female-specific recruitment of the dynorphin/KOR system in neonatal opioid withdrawal symptom severity.
Project description:Due to the current opioid epidemic, a better understanding of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to opioid addiction is warranted. To explore the potential causative role of VitD in opioid addiction , we used multiple pharmacologic approaches and genetic mouse models. We used profiled the transcriptome of key brain reward regions upon morphine treatment in vitamin D receptor KO and wild type mice. Our results highlight the role of VitD deficiency in the development of addiction and suggest a potential therapeutic benefit of VitD supplementation for VitD deficient individuals in the prevention and management of addiction.
Project description:Opioids are commonly prescribed to patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma for extended periods of time in assistance for pain management. Because extended opioid exposure has been shown to affect the vasculature and to be immunosuppressive, we investigated how it may affect the metabolism and physiology of advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma. RNA sequencing of archived patient’s specimens with extended opioid exposure or non-opioid exposure were peformed.
Project description:Opioid use and HIV-1 infection a impact immune function independently, but their impact on the immune system together is unknown. To understand the impact of opioids on immune function in HIV-1 infected individuals we used DOGMA-seq to examine the transcriptome, chromatin accessibility, and surface protein expression in HIV-1-infected individuals undergoing opioid addiction treatment.