Divergent behavioral responses in protracted opioid withdrawal in male and female C57BL/6J mice

Persons suffering from opioid use disorder (OUD) experience long-lasting dysphoric symptoms well into extended periods of withdrawal. This protracted withdrawal syndrome is notably characterized by heightened anxiety. Here we investigate if an exacerbated withdrawal model of acute morphine dependence results in lasting behavioral adaptation 6 weeks into forced abstinence. We found that our exacerbated morphine withdrawal paradigm produced distinct impairments in elevated-plus maze, open field, and social interaction tests in male and female mice. These findings will be relevant for future investigation examining the neural mechanisms underlying these behaviors, and will aid in uncovering physiological sex differences in response to opioid withdrawal.