The Role of Mu Opioid Receptors in High Fat Diet-Induced Reward and Potentiation of the Rewarding Effect of Oxycodone
Excessive high fat diet (HFD) consumption can induce food addiction, which is believed to involve the communication between the hypothalamus and mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons, originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and projecting to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). These brain areas are dense...
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/3/619 |
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| author | Asif Iqbal Abdul Hamid Syed Muzzammil Ahmad Kabirullah Lutfy |
| author_facet | Asif Iqbal Abdul Hamid Syed Muzzammil Ahmad Kabirullah Lutfy |
| author_sort | Asif Iqbal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Excessive high fat diet (HFD) consumption can induce food addiction, which is believed to involve the communication between the hypothalamus and mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons, originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and projecting to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). These brain areas are densely populated with opioid receptors, raising the possibility that these receptors, and particularly mu opioid receptors (MORs), are involved in rewards elicited by palatable food. This study sought to investigate the involvement of MORs in HFD-induced reward and if there is any difference between male and female subjects in this response. We also assessed if exposure to HFD would alter the rewarding action of oxycodone, a relatively selective MOR agonist. The place conditioning paradigm was used as an animal model of reward to determine if short-time (STC, 2 h) or long-time (LTC, 16 h) conditioning with HFD induces reward or alters the rewarding action of oxycodone. Male and female C57BL/6J mice as well as MOR knockout and their wildtype littermates of both sexes were tested for basal place preference on day 1 and then conditioned with an HFD in one chamber and a regular chow diet (RCD) in another chamber for 2 h on alternate days. Three sets of STC were used, followed by a set of LTC. Each set of conditioning consisted of two conditioning with RCD and two conditioning with HFD. Mice were tested for place preference after each set of STC and again after LTC. Controls were conditioned with RCD in both conditioning chambers. Following the last place preference test, mice were treated with oxycodone and conditioned in the HFD-paired chamber and with saline in the RCD-paired chamber for one hour once a day to explore the possibility if the HFD could alter oxycodone reward. The result showed that HFD induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in male but not female subjects. However, oxycodone conditioning elicited reward in both male and female mice of the HFD group but not the control group, showing that prior conditioning with HFD potentiated the rewarding action of oxycodone. The latter response was mediated via MORs, as it was blunted in MOR knockout mice. Similarly, HFD-induced CPP was blunted in male MOR knockout mice, suggesting sexual dimorphism in this response. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:17:46Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:17:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-ef30e86cfe654e288b68fa6d133c8e062023-11-17T12:10:02ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292023-02-0113361910.3390/life13030619The Role of Mu Opioid Receptors in High Fat Diet-Induced Reward and Potentiation of the Rewarding Effect of OxycodoneAsif Iqbal0Abdul Hamid1Syed Muzzammil Ahmad2Kabirullah Lutfy3Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766-1854, USADepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766-1854, USADepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766-1854, USADepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766-1854, USAExcessive high fat diet (HFD) consumption can induce food addiction, which is believed to involve the communication between the hypothalamus and mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons, originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and projecting to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). These brain areas are densely populated with opioid receptors, raising the possibility that these receptors, and particularly mu opioid receptors (MORs), are involved in rewards elicited by palatable food. This study sought to investigate the involvement of MORs in HFD-induced reward and if there is any difference between male and female subjects in this response. We also assessed if exposure to HFD would alter the rewarding action of oxycodone, a relatively selective MOR agonist. The place conditioning paradigm was used as an animal model of reward to determine if short-time (STC, 2 h) or long-time (LTC, 16 h) conditioning with HFD induces reward or alters the rewarding action of oxycodone. Male and female C57BL/6J mice as well as MOR knockout and their wildtype littermates of both sexes were tested for basal place preference on day 1 and then conditioned with an HFD in one chamber and a regular chow diet (RCD) in another chamber for 2 h on alternate days. Three sets of STC were used, followed by a set of LTC. Each set of conditioning consisted of two conditioning with RCD and two conditioning with HFD. Mice were tested for place preference after each set of STC and again after LTC. Controls were conditioned with RCD in both conditioning chambers. Following the last place preference test, mice were treated with oxycodone and conditioned in the HFD-paired chamber and with saline in the RCD-paired chamber for one hour once a day to explore the possibility if the HFD could alter oxycodone reward. The result showed that HFD induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in male but not female subjects. However, oxycodone conditioning elicited reward in both male and female mice of the HFD group but not the control group, showing that prior conditioning with HFD potentiated the rewarding action of oxycodone. The latter response was mediated via MORs, as it was blunted in MOR knockout mice. Similarly, HFD-induced CPP was blunted in male MOR knockout mice, suggesting sexual dimorphism in this response.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/3/619high fat dietconditioned place preferencemu opioid receptorknockout miceendogenous opioid systemoxycodone |
| spellingShingle | Asif Iqbal Abdul Hamid Syed Muzzammil Ahmad Kabirullah Lutfy The Role of Mu Opioid Receptors in High Fat Diet-Induced Reward and Potentiation of the Rewarding Effect of Oxycodone Life high fat diet conditioned place preference mu opioid receptor knockout mice endogenous opioid system oxycodone |
| title | The Role of Mu Opioid Receptors in High Fat Diet-Induced Reward and Potentiation of the Rewarding Effect of Oxycodone |
| title_full | The Role of Mu Opioid Receptors in High Fat Diet-Induced Reward and Potentiation of the Rewarding Effect of Oxycodone |
| title_fullStr | The Role of Mu Opioid Receptors in High Fat Diet-Induced Reward and Potentiation of the Rewarding Effect of Oxycodone |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of Mu Opioid Receptors in High Fat Diet-Induced Reward and Potentiation of the Rewarding Effect of Oxycodone |
| title_short | The Role of Mu Opioid Receptors in High Fat Diet-Induced Reward and Potentiation of the Rewarding Effect of Oxycodone |
| title_sort | role of mu opioid receptors in high fat diet induced reward and potentiation of the rewarding effect of oxycodone |
| topic | high fat diet conditioned place preference mu opioid receptor knockout mice endogenous opioid system oxycodone |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/3/619 |
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