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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: Brain Behav Immun. 2019 Nov 22;84:45–58. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.11.007

Figure 10. Methadone Reduces White Matter Fractional Anisotropy, Increases Axial Diffusivity and Impairs Cerebral Structural Coherence.

Figure 10.

Osmotic minipumps containing methadone or saline were implanted in pregnant rats on E16. Pups were born and underwent ex vivo diffusion tensor imaging on postnatal day 21 (P21). Compared to sham, methadone pups have abnormal directional diffusion (top panel) and reduced fractional anisotropy (FA, A and B) in major white matter tracts. Notably, axial diffusivity (AD) is significantly decreased in the corpus callosum of methadone pups (C), while radial diffusivity (RD) remained unchanged (D). While AD in the external capsule was not statistically different, RD was increased in methadone pups compared to shams. These data are consistent with reduced integrity of white matter microstructure, axon and myelin injury. *p<0.05 n=4–5/group.