Dietary supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces opioid-seeking behaviors and alters the gut microbiome

Hakimian et al. (2019) developed a new model of chronic opioid exposure that allows self-administration of opioids followed by periods of extinction, to mimic addiction in humans. Using this model, this study demonstrated that a diet high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) can ameliorate oxycodone-seeking behaviors in the absence of drug availability and also reduce anxiety. Given the evidence that gut microbiota may have a hugely influential role in brain function, neuropathology, and anxiety, this study examined the microbiome composition and the effects of chronic opioid exposure and n-3 PUFA supplementation. The results showed opioid withdrawal leading to a significant depletion in specific microbiota genera, while supplementation with n-3 PUFAs were found to increase microbial richness, phylogenetic diversity, and evenness in the gut, and also reduced the basal activation state of microglia in the striatum. These findings, although preclinical, suggest n-3 PUFA-rich diets could be used in the alleviation of anxiety-induced opioid-seeking behavior and relapse in human opioid addiction. [NPID: substance use, addiction, drugs, opioids, animal, PUFAs, omega-3s, gut microbiota, neuropathology, anxiety, gut-brain axis, reward, reward pathways]

Year: 2019

Reference: Hakimian, J. K., Dong, T. S., Barahona, J. A., Lagishetty, V., Tiwari, S., Azani, D., Barrera, M., Lee, S., Severino, A. L., Mittal, N., Cahill, C. M., Jacobs, J. P., & Walwyn, W. M. (2019). Dietary Supplementation with Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Reduces Opioid-Seeking Behaviors and Alters the Gut Microbiome. Nutrients, 11(8), 1900. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11081900

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