Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
F. Ivy Carroll, Anita H. Lewin, S. Wayne Mascarella, Herbert H. Seltzman, P. Anantha Reddy
Summary: The review discusses the exponential increase in clandestine manufacture of new psychoactive substances designed to circumvent regulations, which has led to a rise in fatalities. It focuses on three compound classes and highlights the medicinal chemistry approaches used by clandestine laboratories to develop new substances, as well as the chemical methods for treating illicit drug abuse.
ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Samir M. Ahmad, Oriana C. Goncalves, Mariana N. Oliveira, Nuno R. Neng, Jose M. F. Nogueira
Summary: The analysis of controlled drugs in forensic matrices using microextraction-based approaches has gained considerable attention due to its simplicity, cost-benefit, and environmental sustainability. These innovative techniques are becoming increasingly relevant in monitoring priority substances, such as illicit drugs, in the forensic context. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the advantages and future trends in applying microextraction-based techniques for screening-controlled drugs in forensic settings.
Article
Emergency Medicine
Leslie W. Suen, Thibaut Davy-Mendez, Kathy T. LeSaint, Elise D. Riley, Phillip O. Coffin
Summary: This study characterized the rates, presentation, and management of emergency department visits related to cocaine and psychostimulant use, compared to opioid use. The findings showed that visits related to psychostimulants have increased significantly, and they often require interventions for acute cardiopulmonary and psychiatric complications.
BMC EMERGENCY MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Stefania Angela Di Fusco, Roberta Rossini, Marco Flori, Luigi Pollarolo, Nadia Ingianni, Marco Malvezzi Caracciolo D'Aquino, Giuseppe Galati, Filippo Zilio, Annamaria Iorio, Fortunato Scotto di Uccio, Fabiana Luca, Michele Massimo Gulizia, Francesco Ciccirillo, Domenico Gabrielli, Furio Colivicchi
Summary: Recreational drug use can lead to coronary artery disease through various mechanisms, with an increasing number of young patients experiencing drug-related acute coronary syndrome. This position statement provides the most recent epidemiological data on acute coronary syndrome in cases of drug abuse, outlines the main pathophysiological mechanisms, management recommendations, and prognosis for these patients.
JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Moses Agbomhere Hamed, Victor Olukayode Ekundina, Roland Eghoghosoa Akhigbe
Summary: Psychoactive drugs have negative effects on male reproductive functions, including sexual urge, androgen synthesis, spermatogenesis, and sperm quality. They directly induce testicular toxicity through oxidative damage, inflammation, apoptosis, and suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis. This leads to reduced circulating androgen, impaired spermatogenesis, and decreased sperm quality. It is crucial to provide adequate and effective measures against psychoactive drug-induced male infertility.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY AND ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Substance Abuse
Kathryne Van Hedger, Leah M. Mayo, Anya K. Bershad, Racheal Madray, Harriet de Wit
Summary: Many drug users claim to use drugs to cope with negative emotions, which may lead to persistent emotional blunting or anhedonia even when they are not using drugs. This review aims to describe the ways acute administration of psychoactive drugs impacts brain regions during emotion-related tasks. Various drugs have different effects on neural responses to emotional stimuli, with some reducing reactivity in amygdala and other brain regions while others producing mixed effects.
CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Dermatology
Zoe M. Lipman, Gil Yosipovitch
Summary: Chronic pruritus could be a dermatologic manifestation of an underlying substance use disorder, with research revealing similarities in neurologic mechanisms between addiction and chronic itch involving dopamine activation and opioid receptor imbalances. It is important to consider underlying substance use disorders in patients to effectively treat them.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Krishna Tulasi Kirla, Claudia Erhart, Ksenia J. Groh, Julita Stadnicka-Michalak, Rik I. L. Eggen, Kristin Schirmer, Thomas Kraemer
Summary: A study on the toxicity and behavioral effects of opioids in zebrafish early life stages showed that fentanyl derivatives were the most toxic among the tested opioids, with 3-methylfentanyl having the most potent behavioral effects. Physico-chemical properties-based predictions of chemicals' uptake into zebrafish embryos and larvae correlated well with the observed effects, supporting zebrafish as a suitable alternative model for rapidly testing synthetic opioids.
TOXICOLOGY AND APPLIED PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Franks Kamgang Nzekoue, Marco Agostini, Michele Verboni, Caterina Renzoni, Lucia Alfieri, Simone Barocci, Massimo Ricciutelli, Giovanni Caprioli, Simone Lucarini
Summary: A rapid LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the targeted analysis of 98 NPS from hair matrix, showing good precision, linearity, selectivity, and sensitivity, as well as reduced matrix effect and acceptable recovery. The method is suitable for quantifying NPS in hair matrix and could be employed in routine analyses in analytical laboratories.
JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOMEDICAL ANALYSIS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Edward Sisco, Aaron Urbas
Summary: With the increasing prevalence and introduction of new drugs worldwide, there is a need for the development and maintenance of platforms that enable rapid identification and characterization of unknown compounds. To address this, a collaborative platform between NIST and forensic agencies has been deployed, allowing laboratories to utilize expertise and techniques that may not be available at their facilities. The platform involves a suite of analytical tools to provide a rapid preliminary identification, followed by a more comprehensive characterization and confirmation. The characterization of three previously unreported analogs of PCP using various analytical techniques was used to demonstrate the effectiveness of this platform.
FORENSIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
M. Salavrakos, S. Leclercq, P. De Timary, G. Dom
Summary: There is a complex bidirectional relationship between gut microbiota and the brain, primarily through immune responses, bacterial metabolites, and the HPA axis. Substance use disorders have a direct impact on gut microbiota composition and intestinal barrier permeability, potentially leading to further issues such as neuroinflammation.
PROGRESS IN NEURO-PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Madeleine Ramona Volz, Bjoern Moosmann
Summary: This article presents the development of a mass-spectrometry-based binding assay for determining the binding affinities of compounds at the human mu-opioid receptor. The assay has a short runtime, high sensitivity, and produces results consistent with radioactive binding assays. It can be used to determine the receptor binding affinities of newly emerging designer opioids.
ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Magdalena Sustkova-Fiserova, Chrysostomos Charalambous, Anna Khryakova, Alina Certilina, Marek Lapka, Romana Slamberova
Summary: Drug addiction causes serious health, social, and economic burdens. Current drug dependence treatment options are limited and unreliable, leading to the need for new and more effective strategies. The antagonism of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor type A (GHS-R1A) has emerged as a potential treatment for addiction and has been studied extensively. This review provides an overview of preclinical and clinical studies on the involvement of ghrelin's/GHS-R1A in the reinforcing effects and addiction of non-alcohol drugs. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms involved and to evaluate the potential utilization and safety of GHS-R1A antagonism in drug addiction therapy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Toxicology
Caio H. P. Rodrigues, Livia S. Mariotto, Jade S. S. Castro, Paulo H. H. Peruquetti, Newton C. C. Silva-Junior, Aline T. T. Bruni
Summary: This study aimed to collect and organize data on the toxicological properties of new psychoactive substances (NPS). The results showed a lack of studies evaluating the toxicity of many NPS and a scarcity of research on the adverse effects of polydrug use. More in-depth information is needed to understand the main threats associated with NPS use.
FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Stefania Chiappini, Alessio Mosca, Andrea Miuli, Maria Chiara Santovito, Laura Orsolini, John Martin Corkery, Amira Guirguis, Mauro Pettorruso, Giovanni Martinotti, Massimo Di Giannantonio, Fabrizio Schifano
Summary: The increasing use of NPS has become a significant clinical issue, causing growing concern and challenges for clinicians, especially those working in mental health and emergency departments. Some NPS categories, such as cathinones, synthetic cannabinoids, and new synthetic opioids, appear to be frequently associated with suicidal behaviors and self-injurious behavior.
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pauline W. Ondachi, Zhuo Ye, Ana H. Castro, Charles W. Luetje, M. Imad Damaj, S. Wayne Mascarella, Hernan A. Navarro, F. Ivy Carroll
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2015)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Chad M. Kormos, Pauline W. Ondachi, Scott P. Runyon, James B. Thomas, S. Wayne Mascarella, Ann M. Decker, Hernan A. Navarro, F. Ivy Carroll
ACS MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2017)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anita H. Lewin, Larry Brieaddy, Jeffrey R. Deschamps, Gregory H. Imler, S. Wayne Mascarella, P. Anantha Reddy, F. Ivy Carroll
ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Pauline Ondachi, Ana Castro, Charles W. Luetje, M. Imad Damaj, S. Wayne Mascarella, Hernan A. Navarro, F. Ivy Carroll
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2012)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
F. Ivy Carroll, Moses G. Gichinga, John D. Williams, Eyal Vardy, Bryan L. Roth, S. Wayne Mascarella, James B. Thomas, Hernan A. Navarro
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2013)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Pauline W. Ondachi, Ana H. Castro, Jakub M. Bartkowiak, Charles W. Luetje, M. Imad Damaj, S. Wayne Mascarella, Hernan A. Navarro, F. Ivy Carroll
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2014)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Chad M. Kormos, Pauline W. Ondachi, Scott P. Runyon, James B. Thomas, S. Wayne Mascarella, Ann M. Decker, Hernan A. Navarro, Timothy R. Fennell, Rodney W. Snyder, F. Ivy Carroll
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2018)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Pauline W. Ondachi, Chad M. Kormos, Scott P. Runyon, James B. Thomas, S. Wayne Mascarella, Ann M. Decker, Hernan A. Navarro, Timothy R. Fennell, Rodney W. Snyder, F. Ivy Carroll
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2018)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Anita H. Lewin, Herbert H. Seltzman, F. Ivy Carroll, S. Wayne Mascarella, P. Anantha Reddy
Article
Chemistry, Organic
A. H. Lewin, P. Silinski, D. Zhong, A. Gilbert, S. W. Mascarella, H. H. Seltzman
ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY
(2018)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Adele E. Queen, David Hesk, David M. Lindsay, William J. Kerr, Kenneth Rehder, Tim Fennell, Wayne Mascarella, Desong Zhong, Scott Runyon
JOURNAL OF LABELLED COMPOUNDS & RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
F. Ivy Carroll, Anita H. Lewin, S. Wayne Mascarella, Herbert H. Seltzman, P. Anantha Reddy
Summary: The review discusses the exponential increase in clandestine manufacture of new psychoactive substances designed to circumvent regulations, which has led to a rise in fatalities. It focuses on three compound classes and highlights the medicinal chemistry approaches used by clandestine laboratories to develop new substances, as well as the chemical methods for treating illicit drug abuse.
ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anita H. H. Lewin, James P. P. Hayes, Desong Zhong, Dehui Zhang, Chad M. M. Kormos, S. Wayne Mascarella, Herbert. H. Seltzman
Summary: During the synthesis of deuterated 18-hydroxycortisol, it was discovered that two of the synthetic intermediates exist in tautomeric forms as acyclic 18-hydroxy 20-ketone and cyclic 18,20-hemiketal, corresponding to the previously identified less polar (L) and more polar (M) forms of C-18 hydroxylated steroids. The issues associated with the existence of 18-hydroxysteroids as hydroxy ketones and hemiketals, both in solution and as isolable solids, are discussed.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anita H. Lewin, Scott E. Fix, Desong Zhong, Louise D. Mayer, Jason P. Burgess, S. Wayne Mascarella, P. Anantha Reddy, Herbert H. Seltzman, F. Ivy Carroll
ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2018)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Steven D. Chang, S. Wayne Mascarella, Skylar M. Spangler, Vsevolod V. Gurevich, Hernan A. Navarro, F. Ivy Carroll, Michael R. Bruchas
MOLECULAR PHARMACOLOGY
(2015)
