A23: The Effects of Lead Exposure During Early Development on Fentanyl Addictive Behavior in Mice

This study investigates a potential causal relationship between developmental lead (Pb) exposure and fentanyl addictive behavior with male and female mice in a Drinking in the Dark (DID) paradigm. Developmental Pb exposure and fentanyl use disorder (FUD) are critical issues in public health. With similar underlying neurological and demographical characteristics between Pb exposure and FUD, I hypothesized that Pb exposure increases the risk of developing FUD. I predicted that this experiment would show that Pb exposure leads to higher fentanyl consumption and preference, even with aversive quinine additives, compared to control mice.

DID uses two fluid bottles, water and fentanyl citrate, placed on the home cage to measure preference for a substance. Mice consumed fentanyl vs. water 5 days/week for two weeks. Aversion resistance was assessed by adding quinine, a bitter tasting solute, to the fentanyl solution in escalating concentrations starting on session 11.

Pb treatment affected rates of fentanyl consumption differently between sexes (n=19; p=0.0316). Consumption rates were significantly different between sexes and each group had significantly different rates over sessions (p=0.0003; p=<0.0001). Males and females also had different consumption rates with the addition of quinine, but there were no significant differences between sessions of increased quinine addition, so all groups showed aversion resistance (p=0.0004; p>0.05). A trending 3-way interaction on consumption rates between session, treatment, and sex, shows that treatment may have affected sexes differently across sessions (p=0.0594). Predictions were not supported under this paradigm, but differential effects of Pb between sexes is valuable to continue investigating next semester with additional cohorts.

This study addresses public health concerns with behavioral neuroscience potentially display a causal relationship between Pb and FUD. I have been able to pursue my deep interdisciplinary interests surrounding health equity.

Author(s): Chloe Thach, Public Health and Neuroscience Major

Advisor(s): Anna Radke, Department of Psychology