Investigating the Risk of Arrhythmogenesis Associated With Fentanyl Abuse Using Human and Mouse Cardiomyocytes

Gema Mondéjar-Parreño, Shane Rui Zhao, Xu Cao, Yu Liu, Johnson Y Yang, James W S Jahng, Jeremy Leitz, David Wu, Nazish Sayed, José Jalife, Joseph C Wu

Abstract:

The rise in synthetic opioid use, particularly fentanyl, has severely exacerbated the opioid epidemic, and its impact surged dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fentanyl, a prescription opioid used for anesthesia and analgesia, is 50× to 100× stronger than morphine. Opioid-induced cardiac arrest represents the most dramatic manifestation of opioid use disorder. Fentanyl primarily targets opioid receptors in the nervous system, but its misuse also adversely depresses the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. Proarrhythmic effects of other opioids have been reported; however, the electrophysiological consequences of fentanyl abuse have not been studied.