Sex Differences in the Treatment of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome with Buprenorphine

Keyser, Caitlynn

Sex Differences in the Treatment of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome with Buprenorphine

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10456/57793

Author(s)

Keyser, Caitlynn

Date Issued

April 3, 2024

Abstract

Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) is a growing crisis in the United States that affects the most vulnerable population; newborn babies. Due to the only “cure” being maternal drug use prevention, and because opioid use is on the rise, it is greatly important to find a drug that works to not only decrease the severity of the withdrawal symptoms but limit the length of treatment and hospital stay. The purpose of this study is to identify buprenorphine as a potential treatment option for NOWS due to its long half-life, antagonistic effects on the mu receptor, and its success in adults with opioid use disorder (OUD). The other goal is to study whether there are sex differences in the morphine withdrawal period and in the buprenorphine withdrawal period. In order to induce NOWS in a rodent model, 1 mg/kg of morphine was injected into ⅔ of the litter while the other ⅓ was injected with saline in p3 old pups for 7 days to develop a dependence. Their withdrawal behaviors are then observed with a modified Finnegan scale on p10 and p11 and then on p12 ½ of the morphine group is injected with buprenorphine and the rest with saline is injected for 8 days. On p20 and p21 there is another observation period to identify if the withdrawal behaviors have increased or decreased from the initial observation period and their sex is determined on p22. Statistical analysis supports that there is a significant difference between the morphine and saline group, and also significant between the morphine+buprenorphine group and the morphine+saline group and no significance in relation to sex. What this means is that the initial morphine injection induced NOWS behaviors, buprenorphine decreased withdrawal score, and treatment and withdrawal is not dependent on the sex of the pup. Based on these results it is important for future studies to take into consideration if buprenorphine impacts cognitive development in adolescents, an issue that other NOWS drugs cause.

Major

Neuroscience

Psychology

First Reader(s)

Bertholomey, Megan L.