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Updated: Dec 7, 2025

A Conditioned Place Preference Protocol for Measuring Incubation of Craving in Rats
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Sensitivity to Morphine Reward Associates With Gut Dysbiosis in Rats With Morphine-Induced Conditioned Place

Jingyuan Zhang1,2,3,4,5, Jun Yang1,2,3,4,5, Cheng Yang1,2,3,4,5

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.

Frontiers in Psychiatry
|October 2, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Gut microbiota composition changes with morphine exposure and is linked to reward sensitivity. These findings offer potential new strategies for treating opioid use disorder.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • The gut microbiota and central nervous system share a bidirectional relationship.
  • Gut microbiota alterations are linked to mental health disorders, including opioid use disorders.
  • Morphine exposure disrupts gut microbiota, but its connection to morphine reward sensitivity is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between gut microbiota composition and morphine reward sensitivity.
  • To determine if morphine exposure alters gut microbiota and if these changes correlate with reward sensitivity.

Main Methods:

  • Used the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm in morphine-treated and saline-treated rats.
  • Analyzed fecal bacterial communities using 16S rRNA sequencing at baseline and post-conditioning.
  • Compared microbial composition between morphine-treated and saline-treated groups, and between low and high CPP groups.

Main Results:

  • Morphine treatment altered gut microbial composition but not alpha diversity compared to saline controls.
  • Significant differences in microbial composition existed between low and high CPP groups both before and after morphine treatment.
  • Specific taxa, including *Alloprevotella* and *Romboutsia*, showed correlations with CPP scores.

Conclusions:

  • Morphine exposure alters gut microbiota composition in rats.
  • Gut microbial alterations are correlated with an individual's sensitivity to morphine reward.
  • Findings suggest potential for novel therapeutic and preventive strategies for opioid use disorder targeting the gut microbiota.
Keywords:
conditioned place preferencegut dysbiosisgut microbiotamorphinerat modelsensitivity to morphine reward

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