Maternal Opioids Downregulate Adiponectin Receptor Signaling and Alter Growth in Offspring: Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Opioid use disorder (OUD) has been linked to cardiometabolic diseases in adults through reductions in adiponectin—an adipocytokine with insulin-sensitizing effects. Opioid use during pregnancy dysregulates neonatal growth and may predispose to adult-onset diseases, but the impact of maternal OUD on neonatal adiponectin has not been studied. We hypothesize that maternal OUD also reduces adiponectin level in offspring (primary outcome) and alters growth (secondary outcome). To test our hypothesis, we conducted a prospective, observational pilot study and compared the expression of salivary adiponectin receptor 1/ ADIPOR1 and anthropometric and body composition (fat and fat-free mass) measurements between opioid-exposed and age-matched non-exposed neonates born at ≥34 weeks’ gestation. Data were stratified by exposure and sex using a Student’s t-test. Significance was set at p