The effects of morphine, methadone, and fentanyl on mitochondria : A live cell imaging study

• The important role of mitochondria in maintaining normal brain cell function has been demonstrated in several neurodegenerative diseases where mitochondrial dysfunction is a prominent feature. Accumulating evidence indicates that opioids may induce neuronal cell death and inhibit neurogenesis, two factors that are dependent on normal mitochondrial function. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of morphine, methadone, and fentanyl on mitochondrial morphology. Cells from the neuroblastoma/glioma hybrid cell-line NG108-15 were seeded on 96-well cell culture plates and treated with MitoTracker™ for 30 min prior to opioid treatment. Morphine, methadone, and fentanyl were added at various concentrations and images of mitochondria were acquired every 30 min for four hours using a high-content imaging device. The morphological parameters total mitochondrial area, mitochondrial network, number of mitochondrial objects, and the mean area of mitochondrial objects were analyzed using automated image analysis. Methadone and fentanyl, but not morphine, decreased the mitochondrial network, the number of mitochondrial objects, and increased the mean area of mitochondrial objects. Both methadone and fentanyl altered mitochondrial morphology with no effects seen from morphine treatment. These data suggest that methadone and fentanyl disrupt mitochondrial morphology, which may contribute to neuronal cell death.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Cell- och molekylärbiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Cell and Molecular Biology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Cell culture

Fentanyl

Live cell imaging

Methadone

Mitochondria

Morphine

Morphology

NG108-15

Opioids

Time-lapse

Pharmaceutical Science

Farmaceutisk vetenskap

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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