Manar Mawri
Research Mentor(s): Emily Jutkiewicz
Department or Program: Pharmacology
Authors: Manar A Mawri, Emily M Jutkiewicz, PhD
Session: Session 1: 12:00pm-12:50pm
Poster: 31
Abstract
Pain and psychiatric disorders, such as depression, significantly reduce daily activity in humans. Current treatments aim to restore function towards usual or pre-condition activity levels. Previously, delta opioid receptor (DOR) agonists have demonstrated the ability to alleviate pain and improve mood in preclinical models, showing antihyperalgesic and antidepressant-like effects. This study evaluates the ability of a known DOR agonist, SNC80, and a novel agonist, PN6047, to restore daily function in mice. To assess the effects of these DOR agonists, we used wheel-running behavior as a measure of activity. Female and male C57BL/6 mice were single-housed and provided continuous wheel access overnight to habituate them to the environment. Following habituation, their wheel-running access was limited to shorter intervals during the daytime cycle to create a baseline of reduced activity. Nitroglycerin (NTG) was administered to induce a hyperalgesic, migraine-like state. Sixty minutes later, either vehicle, 3.2 mg/kg SNC80, or 3.2 mg/kg PN6047 was administered, and wheel-running behavior was immediately monitored for 3 hours. We hypothesize that both SNC80 and PN6047 will effectively reverse the NTG-induced suppression of wheel-running behavior, demonstrating their potential to restore normal activity levels. While SNC80 is a well-characterized DOR agonist, PN6047 is considered safer due to its lack of convulsive activity. By comparing the efficacy of SNC80 and PN6047 in restoring wheel-running behavior, this study aims to further our understanding of the therapeutic potential of DOR agonists in managing pain and associated psychiatric disorders. Our findings may contribute to the development of more effective treatments that enhance daily function and activity in individuals suffering from these challenging conditions.
