” Because the anterior cingulate cortex is a center for moderating social details, we concentrated on the expression of Grin2b because location,” states Yuan Shen, MD, Ph.D., the papers senior author and a professor of Psychiatry at Shanghai 10th Peoples Hospital. “We found fentanyl reduced expression of Grin2b in the anterior cingulate cortex. The overexpression of Grin2b prevents fentanyl-induced autism-like habits in the mice. These findings suggest a prospective system to avoid or deal with the autism-like behavior,” says Shen.
The group carried out experiments using an open field test (in which a mouse can walk inside a box) and an elevated plus-maze (in which a mouse can stroll on an elevated platform) to detect the anxiety and stereotyped behaviors of mice. “We utilized these tests due to the fact that impaired social interaction, stereotyped behaviors, and anxiety are the key feature of autism-like habits in mice,” says Zhihao Sheng, co-first author of the paper.
” However, the modifications of mice in these behavioral tests do not equivalent autism in humans. These behavioral tests are only used to study the autism-like behaviors in mice due to the fact that they can demonstrate certain features of behavior modifications comparable to the symptom of autism,” says Qidong Liu, Ph.D., co-first author, and an assistant professor at Shanghai 10th Peoples Hospital.
Co-senior author Zhongcong Xie, MD, Ph.D., includes: “There is no present proof that fentanyl is associated with a similar result in people and the result of the animal study is not a sign to prevent fentanyl in medical anesthesia. The result will promote further research, including clinical investigations, to identify the potential neurobehavioral influence of opioids on brain advancement.” Xie is director of Basic Science Research in the MGH Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine and Henry K. Beecher Professor of Anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School.
Other authors include Chun Cheng and Mengzhu Li from Shanghai 10th Peoples Hospital and Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, W. Andrew Kofke from the University of Pennsylvania, and Jed Barash, a Massachusetts neurologist.
This study was moneyed by the Ministry of Science and Technology of individualss Republic of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Harvard Medical School.
Reference: “Fentanyl induces autism-like behaviours in mice by hypermethylation of the glutamate receptor gene Grin2b” by Zhihao Sheng, Qidong Liu, Chun Cheng, Mengzhu Li, Jed Barash, W. Andrew Kofke, Yuan Shen and Zhongcong Xie, 11 June 2022, British Journal of Anaesthesia.DOI: 10.1016/ j.bja.2022.04.027.
Fentanyl is a very powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but 50 to 100 times more powerful. It is a prescribed drug that is also illegally made and utilized.
A brand-new study offers insight into how the opioid analgesic fentanyl causes autism-like behavior
One of the most often administered analgesics in hospitals is fentanyl, a mu-opioid receptor agonist that has the potential to completely harm rats habits and sensorimotor capabilities. Scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Shanghai 10th Peoples Hospital, and the University of Pennsylvania have revealed in an animal study that fentanyl can trigger modifications in young male and female mice that are equivalent to behaviors seen in autism.
Other research studies have demonstrated that N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor dysfunction adds to autism. Autism is connected to variations in the Grin2a and Grin2b genes, which encode the GluN2A and GluN2B subunits of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor. Autism likewise impacts the anterior cingulate cortex of the brain.
The current study found that fentanyl causes autistic-like habits in young male and female mice by activating the mu-opioid receptor in the anterior cingulate brain. Furthermore, these fentanyl-induced autistic-like habits appear to be partly driven by the reduction of Grin2b expression in the mices anterior cingulate cortex induced by hypermethylation.
Scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Shanghai 10th Peoples Hospital, and the University of Pennsylvania have actually shown in an animal study that fentanyl can cause modifications in young male and female mice that are similar to behaviors seen in autism. The overexpression of Grin2b prevents fentanyl-induced autism-like behavior in the mice. The group conducted experiments utilizing an open field test (in which a mouse can stroll inside a box) and an elevated plus-maze (in which a mouse can walk on a raised platform) to spot the anxiety and stereotyped habits of mice. Utilizing a three-chamber social choice test (in which a mouse can connect with another mouse), they likewise examined potential social deficits. “We utilized these tests due to the fact that impaired social interaction, stereotyped behaviors, and stress and anxiety are the crucial function of autism-like habits in mice,” states Zhihao Sheng, co-first author of the paper.