Neuroimmunological complications arising from chemotherapy‐induced gut toxicity and opioid exposure in female dark agouti rats

Cancer patients may experience symptom clusters, including chemotherapy‐induced (CI) gut toxicity (CIGT) and cognitive impairment. Analgesic selection for pain associated with CIGT is difficult as opioids induce glial reactivity and unwanted side effects. This study quantified central glial reactivity and proinflammatory effects in rats with CIGT using three mechanistically different analgesics. Regional adaptations were indicative of immune‐to‐brain signaling routes. Utilizing a 5‐fluorouracil‐induced GT (5IGT) rat model and analgesic intervention (carprofen (CAR), buprenorphine (BUP), and tramadol (TRAM)), spinal and brain neuroimmune modulation was examined via microglial, astrocyte, and proinflammatory (cluster of differentiation molecule 11b; CD11b, glial fibrillary associated protein; GFAP, and interleukin‐1 beta; IL1β) reactivity marker expression changes by western blot analysis. 5IGT significantly increased thoracic GFAP (p