The human nucleus accumbens is highly susceptible to G protein down-regulation by methamphetamine and heroin
by
McLeman ER, Warsh JJ, Ang L, Li PP, Kalasinsky KS,
Ross BM, Tong J, Schmunk G, Adams V, Kish SJ
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health,
Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
J Neurochem 2000 May; 74(5):2120-6 1999 Sep;124(1):51-5

ABSTRACT

Although the nucleus accumbens is assumed to be a critical brain "pleasure center," its function in humans is unknown. As animal data suggest that a unique feature of this small brain area is its high sensitivity to down-regulation of an inhibitory G protein by drugs of abuse, we compared G protein levels in postmortem nucleus accumbens with those in seven other brain regions of chronic users of cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, and of matched controls. Biochemical changes were restricted to the nucleus accumbens in which concentrations of G(alpha)1 and/or G(alpha)2 were reduced by 32-49% in the methamphetamine and heroin users. This selective responsiveness to these abused drugs implies a special role for the human nucleus accumbens in mechanisms of drug reinforcement and suggests that some features of the drug-dependent state (e.g., tolerance) might be related to inhibition of G(alpha)1-linked receptor activity.

Pain
CREB
DAMGO
Dynamin
Morphine
Tramadol
Methadone
Oxycodone
Mechanisms
Peroxynitrite
Endomorphins
Novelty and pain
Glycine anatagonists
Fentanyl and ketamine
The extended amygdala
NSAIDs/opioid tolerance
Opioids, mood and cognition
Anxiety, opioids, cholecystokinin and tolerance

Refs
and further reading

HOME
HedWeb
Nootropics
cocaine.wiki
Future Opioids
BLTC Research
MDMA/Ecstasy
Superhapiness?
Utopian Surgery?
The Abolitionist Project
The Hedonistic Imperative
The Reproductive Revolution
Critique of Huxley's Brave New World

The Good Drug Guide
The Responsible Parent's Guide
To Healthy Mood Boosters For All The Family