Skip to main content
. 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 4. Perinatal Methadone Exposure Causes a Sustained Neonatal Increase in Serum Inflammatory Biomarkers.

Figure 4.

Osmotic minipumps containing methadone or saline were implanted in pregnant rats on E16. Pups were born and serum collected on P10(A-D) and P21 (E-H). Using a translational multiplex electrochemiluminescent platform, biomarkers were assayed. On P10, those pups exposed to perinatal methadone had significantly increased IL-1β (A), TNFα (B), IL-6 (C) and CXCL1 (D) compared to saline pups. By P21, serum levels of IL-1β (E) remained significantly increased compared to methadone pups, while other cytokines and chemokines normalized. These data reflect significant and persistent increases in pro-inflammatory proteins in the serum throughout the perinatal period, consistent with a diverse inflammatory response syndrome. *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001, n=3–4/group.