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bioRxiv · 10.1101/807297

Opioids depress breathing through two small brainstem sites

Iris, B.·Wei, X. P.·Kish, E.·Yackle, K.
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Abstract

The rates of opioid overdose in the United States quadrupled between 1999 and 2017, reaching a staggering 130 deaths per day. This health epidemic demands innovative solutions that require uncovering the key brain areas and cell types mediating the cause of overdose--opioid respiratory depression. Here, we identify two primary changes to breathing after administering opioids. These changes implicate the brainstems breathing circuitry which we confirm by locally eliminating the -Opiate receptor. We find the critical brain site is the origin of the breathing rhythm, the preBotzinger Complex, and use genetic tools to reveal that just 70-140 neurons in this region are responsible for its sensitivity to opioids. Future characterization of these neurons may lead to novel therapies that prevent respiratory depression while sparing analgesia.

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Iris, B., Wei, X. P., Kish, E., Yackle, K.. 2019-10-17. Opioids depress breathing through two small brainstem sites. https://doi.org/10.1101/807297

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