Developmental Exposure to Concentrated Ambient Particles and Preference for Immediate Reward in Mice.
Developmental Exposure to Concentrated Ambient Particles and Preference for Immediate Reward in Mice.
Filed under: Addiction Rehab
Environ Health Perspect. 2012 Oct 11;
Allen JL, Conrad K, Oberdörster G, Sleezer B, Cory-Slechta DA
Background: Recent epidemiological studies indicate negative associations between a diverse group of air pollutants and cognitive functioning in children and adults, and aspects of attention deficit in children. Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are two putative biological mechanisms by which air pollutants may adversely affect the brain. Objectives: This study sought to determine if exposure to concentrated ambient particulate matter (CAPS) during the first two weeks of life alone, or again in adulthood, could alter responding for delayed reward, a critical component of human decision-making. Greater preference for immediate reward has been implicated as a component of several psychiatric disorders, addiction, obesity and attention deficit. Methods: C57bl6J mice were exposed to ultrafine (<100nm) CAPS using the Harvard University Concentrated Ambient Particle System (HUCAPS) or filtered air in the postnatal period (days 4 - 7 and 10-13) with and without adult exposure over days 56-60. In adulthood, delay behavior was assessed using a Fixed-Ratio Waiting-for-Reward (FR wait) paradigm. Results: Coupled with increased FR responses rates, mice exposed to postnatal CAPS displayed increased FR resets that re-instated short delays, indicating a preference for shorter delays, despite the added response cost of the FR25. No associated changes in locomotor activity were observed. Conclusions: Postnatal CAPS exposure produces an enhanced bias towards immediate rewards, a risk factor for several CNS disorders. This enhancement does not appear to be the result of hyperactivity. The findings underscore the need for further evaluation of air pollution effects on the CNS and its potential contribution to CNS diseases and disorders. HubMed – addiction
Hygrine and cuscohygrine as possible markers to distinguish coca chewing from cocaine abuse in workplace drug testing.
Filed under: Addiction Rehab
Forensic Sci Int. 2012 Oct 10;
Rubio C, Strano-Rossi S, Tabernero MJ, Anzillotti L, Chiarotti M, Bermejo AM
Cocaine abuse is widespread all over the world, and is performed generally by sniffing, injecting or smoking cocaine or crack. The distinction between the recreational use of cocaine from the practice of the so called “coqueo” is still an issue in those countries where this habit is diffused and where it is not considered an addiction, by this reason is necessary to develop a method for to distinguish the coca chewers and cocaine abusers. The use of an unique marker to distinguish between cocaine abuse and chewing of coca leaves is of fundamental importance in those countries where this habit is diffused. Certain alkaloids of the leaves of Erythroxylum coca are lost during the process of extraction/purification of cocaine and it is not possible to find them neither in seizures of chlorhidrate of cocaine nor urine samples of cocaine abusers. These markers are the hygrine and cuscohygrine that are present in the leaves of E. coca. A fast GC/MS method involving a liquid:liquid extraction procedure with tertbutylmethylether (TBME) is proposed for the determination of some alkaloids in cocaine leaves, cocaine seizures and biological samples. All specimens were alkalinized to pH 9 with a carbonate/bicarbonate buffer and then extracted with TBME. The analysis was carry out by GC/MS with electron impact at 70eV and in full scan mode. The results demonstrate that hygrine and cuscohygrine are not found neither in the urine of cocaine abusers nor in cocaine seizures. For this reason this compounds could be considered as markers of coca chewing. This developed method permits to distinguish coca chewing from cocaine abuse in workplace drug testing through the analysis of urine samples.
HubMed – addiction
Sex differences in disinhibition and its relationship to physical abuse in a sample of stimulant-dependent patients.
Filed under: Addiction Rehab
Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012 Oct 10;
Winhusen T, Lewis D
BACKGROUND: Research suggests that impulsivity is a vulnerability factor for developing stimulant dependence, that women develop dependence more quickly than men, and that physical abuse can increase impulsivity and may have greater adverse health consequences in women. This study sought to tie these findings together by evaluating: (1) sex differences in disinhibition prior to lifetime initiation of stimulant abuse and (2) the relationship between physical abuse and disinhibition in stimulant-dependent patients. METHOD: The Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe) is a reliable and valid self-report assessment of three neurobehavioral domains associated with frontal systems functioning (Apathy, Disinhibition, and Executive Dysfunction, summed for a Total), that assesses pre-morbid functioning and has a specific cutoff for defining clinically significant abnormalities. Six sites evaluating 12-step facilitation for stimulant abusers obtained the FrSBe from 118 methamphetamine- and/or cocaine-dependent participants. Lifetime physical abuse was measured by the Addiction Severity Index (ASI). RESULTS: The proportion reporting clinically significant disinhibition was significantly higher in women (64.9%) than in men (45.0%, p=0.04), with no significant difference on the other FrSBe scales. Physical abuse in women, but not men, was associated with worse functioning, with physically abused, relative to non-abused, women having a significantly greater proportion with clinically significant disinhibition (p<0.01) and total neurobehavioral abnormalities (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that women may have significantly greater disinhibition than men prior to lifetime initiation of stimulant abuse and that physical abuse in women is associated with greater disinhibition. HubMed – addiction
Sensitization of hypervigilance effects of cocaine can be induced by NK3 receptor activation in marmoset monkeys.
Filed under: Addiction Rehab
Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012 Oct 10;
Melamed JL, de Souza Silva MA, Tomaz C, Müller CP, Huston JP, Barros M
BACKGROUND: Cocaine is a widely abused drug which can result in the establishment of addiction. The neurokinin3-receptor (NK3-R) has been linked to cocaine addiction by genetic, epigenetic, and pharmacological studies suggesting that a cocaine-induced increase in NK3-R signaling may contribute to the establishment of cocaine addiction-related behaviors. METHODS: Here we measured cocaine-induced sensitization of vigilance- and locomotor behaviors in marmoset monkeys (Callithrix penicillata) in an open field. RESULTS: We found a sensitization of vigilance-related, but not locomotor behaviors after repeated cocaine (7mg/kg, i.p.) treatment. There was a cross-sensitization for scan frequency, but not of glance frequency, both vigilance-related behaviors, after repeated treatment with the NK3-R agonist senktide (0.2mg/kg, i.p.) given for 7 days, after a cocaine challenge (5mg/kg, i.p.). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that in marmoset monkeys, repeated cocaine treatment leads to a sensitization of vigilance-related behaviors, which have a prominent role in spontaneously expressed activities in this species, but not of locomotor activity. Repeated activation of NK3-Rs can mimic some of the behavioral sensitization effect and may thus contribute to the establishment of cocaine related behaviors.
HubMed – addiction
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