Peripheral opioid receptor antagonism alleviates fentanyl-induced cardiorespiratory depression and is devoid of aversive effects

ABSTRACT Millions of Americans suffering from Opioid Use Disorders (OUD) face a high risk of fatal overdose due to opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD). Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, is a major contributor to the rising rates of overdose deaths. Reversing fentanyl-induced respiratory depression has proved to be challenging due to both its high potency and lipophilicity. We assessed the contributions of central and peripheral mu opioid receptors (MORs) in mediating fentanyl-induced physiological responses. The peripherally-restricted MOR antagonist naloxone methiodide (NLXM) both prevented and reversed OIRD to a comparable extent as naloxone (NLX), indicating substantial involvement of peripheral MORs to OIRD. Interestingly, NLXM-mediated OIRD reversal did not produce aversive behaviors observed after NLX. We show that neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (nTS), the first central synapse of peripheral afferents, exhibit biphasic patterns of activity following fentanyl exposure. NLXM pretreatment attenuates this activity, suggesting that these responses are mediated by peripheral MORs. Together, these findings establish a critical role for peripheral MOR, including ascending inputs to the nTS, as sites of dysfunction during OIRD. Furthermore, selective peripheral MOR antagonism could be a promising therapeutic strategy for managing OIRD by sparing CNS-driven acute opioid-associated withdrawal and aversion observed after NLX. Significance Statement In this study, we compare the central versus peripheral components underlying fentanyl-induced cardiorespiratory depression to prevent overdose deaths. Our data indicates that these effects are, at least partially, due to the activation of mu opioid receptors present in peripheral sites. These findings provide insight into peripheral contributions to fentanyl-induced overdoses and could potentially lead to the development of treatments selectively targeting the peripheral system, sparing individuals from the CNS-driven acute opioid withdrawal generally observed with the use of naloxone.