Aversion-resistant fentanyl self-administration in mice

• Published in: Psychopharmacology Vol. 238; no. 3; pp. 699 - 710
• Main Authors: Monroe, Sean C., Radke, Anna K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.03.2021; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Addictions; Affect - drug effects; Analgesics, Opioid - administration & dosage; Animal models; Animals; Aversion; Behavior, Addictive - psychology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Choice Behavior - drug effects; Conditioning, Operant - drug effects; Control; Dosage and administration; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drinking behavior; Drinking Behavior - physiology; Drug addiction; Drug use; Experiments; Female; Fentanyl; Fentanyl - administration & dosage; Male; Methods; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Narcotics; Neurosciences; Operant conditioning; Operant response; Opioids; Original Investigation; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Prevention; Psychiatry; Quinine; Quinine - administration & dosage; Self Administration; Self medication; Sex Factors; Sucrose; Sucrose - administration & dosage; Taste - drug effects; Testing; United States; Opioid; Addiction; Mouse; Quinine; Compulsive
• DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05722-6
• ISSN: 0033-3158

Rationale Animal models of compulsive drug use that continues despite negative consequences can be used to investigate the neural mechanisms of addiction. However, models of punished or aversion-resistant opioid self-administration are notably lacking. Objectives We sought to develop an aversion-resistant, oral fentanyl self-administration paradigm. Methods In Experiment 1, C57BL/6J male and female, adult mice consumed fentanyl (10 μg/mL) in a two-bottle drinking in the dark task and escalating concentrations of quinine were added to the bottles. In Experiment 2, mice were trained to administer oral fentanyl (10 μg/mL) in an operant response task. Quinine was next added to the fentanyl solution in escalating concentrations. In Experiment 3, mice were trained to respond for oral fentanyl or fentanyl adulterated with 500 μM quinine on every session. In Experiment 4, mice were trained to respond for a 1% sucrose solution before introduction of quinine. Results Quinine reduced two-bottle choice consumption in males but not in females. Both sexes demonstrated the ability to detect the selected concentrations of quinine in fentanyl. In the operant chamber, mice responded robustly for oral fentanyl but introduction of quinine at any stage of training was insufficient to reduce responding. In contrast, quinine reduced responding for sucrose at concentrations above 250 μM. Conclusions Mice will respond for and consume oral fentanyl in both a two-bottle choice and an operant response task. Quinine is detectable in fentanyl but mice will continue to respond for and consume fentanyl with quinine in both paradigms. These data support the use of these models in behavioral studies of compulsive-like opioid use.