Drugs addiction

These early observations on the correlation of structure and pharmacological action in the morphine group have been greatly extended as a result of chemical, pharmacological and clinical work done under the auspices of the American National Committee on Drug Addiction. In addition to numerous papers, contributed by experts serving this Committee, to chemical and pharmacological journals, two important reports have been published —... 

Studies on Drug Addiction, with special reference to Chemical Structure of Opium Derivatives and Allied Synthetic Substances and their Physiological Action, by Small, Eddy, Mosettig and Himmelsbach. ... 

Apart from the study of drug addiction in its clinical aspects, much... 

A state of chronic deviation of a regulatory system from its normal (homeostatic) operating level is defined as an allostatic state. In the context of drug addiction this term has been introduced by George Koob and Michel Le Moal and represents a chronic deviation of reward set point by dysregulation of reward circuits and brain stress systems that provide a negative motivational state that drives addictive behavior. 

Drug addiction is defined as a syndrome in which drug use (e.g., psychostimulants, opiates, alcohol) pervades all life activities of the user. Life becomes governed by the drug and the addicted patient can lose social compatibility (e.g., loss of partner and friends, loss of job, crime). Behavioral characteristics of this syndrome are compulsive drug use, craving, and chronic relapses that can occur even after years of abstinence. 

Drug addiction is a pathological behavioral syndrome that has to be strictly separated from physical dependence. An individual can be physically dependent on a drug without being addicted to it and vice versa. Transient neuroadaptive processes underlie physical dependence and tolerance to a drug, whereas persistent changes within specific neuronal systems underlie addictive behavior. 

Treatment of drug addicts can be sqDarated into two phases detoxification and relapse prevention. Detoxification programs and treatment of physical withdrawal symptoms, respectively, is clinically routine for most drugs of abuse. However, pharmacological intervention programs for relapse prevention are still not veiy efficient. 

Gass JT, Olive MF (2007) Glutamatergic substrates of drug addiction and alcoholism. Biochein Pharmacol Jun 30 [Epub ahead of print]... 

SR 48692 Nonpeptide antagonist at NTS1 agonist at NTS2 Inhibition of tumor growth drug addiction treatment... 

Moreover, there exist polymorphic MOP variants. An Asn40Asp polymorphism has been found with a high abundance in the Caucasian and Asian population. This receptor variant is less expressed in the brain and carrier of this polymorphism appears to need more opioids for analgesic treatment. There are many additional MOP polymorphisms with unknown functional significance. In spite of many studies there appears to exist no significant association of polymorphisms in the MOP gene and drug addiction [5]. 

Drug Addiction/Dependence Drug-Receptor Interaction G-protein-coupled Receptors... 

Knowledge of the metabohsm of xenobiotics is basic to a rational understanding of pharmacology and therapeutics, pharmacy, toxicology, management of cancer, and drug addiction. All these areas involve administration of, or exposure to, xenobiotics. 

It is well established that NF-kB signaling plays a critical role in inflammation and immunity. Understanding the mechanism of NF-kB involvement in opioid receptor activation and chemokine expression may provide a vital key to understanding this complex signaling network. However, the elucidation of molecular mechanisms following activation of the opioid receptor family could aid in the development of future therapeutics for immune system-related and inflammatory diseases, drug addiction and HIV infection. 

Lewander, T. Effects of amphetamine in animals. In Martin, W.R., ed. Drug Addiction. II. New York Springer-Verlag. 1977. p. 33. 

Lifschitz, M.H. Wilson, G.S. Smith, E.O. and Desmond, M.M. Factors affecting head growth and intellectual function in children of drug addicts. Pedi at.ri cs 75 269-274, 1985. 

Chao J, Nestler EJ. Molecular neurobiology of drug addiction. Annu Rev Med 2004 55 113-132. 

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