Work

The effects of high fat diet consumption on morphine-induced constipation

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Opioids, prescribed for pain relief or as maintenance therapies for opioid use disorder, induce constipation, which can lead to medication compliance issues. However, it is not known how dietary manipulation might impact opioid-induced constipation. To test the hypothesis that eating a high fat diet exacerbates opioid-induced constipation, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats ( n = 8/diet/sex) were fed either a low fat (standard) diet, a high fat/high carbohydrate diet, or a ketogenic diet. Rats were injected with either saline or morphine (1-10 mg/kg) and constipation was measured by counting fecal boli hourly for 6 h. Morphine-induced comparable constipation in all groups; however, rats eating a high fat/high carbohydrate or ketogenic diet produced significantly less feces following injections of saline or morphine as compared to rats eating a standard diet ( P < 0.05). Dietary considerations might be important for patients prescribed opioid medications.

Source: Behavioural Pharmacology

DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000831

Authors: Nina M. Beltran, Thelma I. Garcia, Gabriela M. Naime, Vanessa Minervini, Katherine M. Serafine

Institutions: The University of Texas at El Paso, Creighton University

Language: English

Topic: Gastrointestinal motility and disorders

Subfield: Gastroenterology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of General Medical Sciences