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Neurotransmitter system aberrations in patients with drug addiction.
- Source :
-
Journal of Neural Transmission . Dec2020, Vol. 127 Issue 12, p1641-1650. 10p. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Drug dependence may affect the neurotransmitter system levels in the human body. This study recruited 113 healthy control subjects, 118 heroin-dependent patients and 118 methamphetamine-dependent patients and examined the serum 5-HT, dopamine, glutamate and norepinephrine levels in the 349 volunteers. ELISA assays demonstrated that the serum 5-HT levels were significantly reduced in the drug-dependent patients, whereas the serum dopamine and glutamate levels were both significantly increased in the drug-dependent patients when compared with control subjects. In contrast, the norepinephrine levels did not exhibit a significant difference between the drug-dependent and control subjects. We also used qRT-PCR to analyze the transcriptional expression levels of 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, dopmaine-D1 and dopamine-D2 receptors in the blood of drug-dependent patients and controls, and the results show that only 5-HT1B receptor levels were dysfunctional in the heroin abusers. In addition, our results suggest that serum 5-HT, dopamine, and glutamate levels had the potential to differ between drug abusers and controls, and combining those three potential biomarkers provided an accurate means to differentiate between the drug-dependent and control subjects. Taken together, our study reveals a differential profile of neurotransmitters in the heroin-dependent patients and methamphetamine-dependent patients, and this revelation may contribute to understanding the pathophysiology of drug addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *DRUG addiction
*BIOMARKERS
*HUMAN body
*DRUG control
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 03009564
- Volume :
- 127
- Issue :
- 12
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Journal of Neural Transmission
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 146996499
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-020-02242-7