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Full-Text Articles in Pharmacology

The Opioid Epidemic: How Genetics Play A Role In Addiction And Treatment, Kirsten Houston May 2023

The Opioid Epidemic: How Genetics Play A Role In Addiction And Treatment, Kirsten Houston

Honors College Theses

The opioid epidemic is an issue within the pharmaceutical industry in the United States of America due to prescription and non-prescription substances being made available to the population. Opioids include chemical substances that affect the body and brain through opioid receptors, including the mu, kappa, and delta receptors. These substances are derived and synthesized from the poppy plant. Multiple causes have been linked to opioid abuse disorder, including but not limited to employment, income, housing, nutrition, mental health disorders, and genetics. By gathering information from previous literature, genetics may be the main cause of narcotic analgesic tolerance and abuse. Specific …


Intrinsic Efficacy As A Determinant Of Opioid Effectiveness In Treatment Of Pain-Depressed Behavior, Edna Santos Jan 2023

Intrinsic Efficacy As A Determinant Of Opioid Effectiveness In Treatment Of Pain-Depressed Behavior, Edna Santos

Theses and Dissertations

Pain is a major public health concern that is commonly associated with behavioral depression, and a major goal in pain treatment is alleviation of pain-related behavioral depression. High-efficacy mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonists (e.g. fentanyl, morphine, oxycodone) are effective to treat pain, but their use is limited by side effects that not only endanger the patient but may also obscure analgesic rescue of pain-depressed behavior. The ongoing epidemic of opioid abuse and overdose deaths has stimulated research to discover non-opioid alternative analgesics; however, this search neglects the clinical potential of safer intermediate-efficacy MOR agonists (e.g. buprenorphine). The objective of the …


Evaluation Of Opioid Consumption Trends For Pain In Taiwan And Comparison With Neighboring Asian Countries, Jhi-Joung Wang, Shu-Fang Teng, Yu-Roo Chu, Chin-Chen Chu, Chung-Han Ho, Li-Ling Chu Mar 2022

Evaluation Of Opioid Consumption Trends For Pain In Taiwan And Comparison With Neighboring Asian Countries, Jhi-Joung Wang, Shu-Fang Teng, Yu-Roo Chu, Chin-Chen Chu, Chung-Han Ho, Li-Ling Chu

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Opioids are effective analgesics for pain relief, however, inappropriate use may cause risks. The aims of the study were to evaluate trends of opioid consumption for pain management in Taiwan and compare them among neighboring Asian countries. Opioid consumption data, including fentanyl, morphine, oxycodone, hydromorphone, codeine, and pethidine, were collected from the Controlled Drugs Management Information System of Taiwan Food and Drug Administration from 2008 to 2018. Data of different continents and neighboring Asian countries were retrieved from the WHO website. The major findings include: (1) In Taiwan, the total annual opioid consumption has gradually increased from 2008 to 2018, …


Evidence For Intravenous Self-Administration Of Mitragynine In Fentanyl-Dependent Rats, Norsyifa Harun, Zurina Hassan, Surash Ramanathan, Mohammed Shoaib Jan 2021

Evidence For Intravenous Self-Administration Of Mitragynine In Fentanyl-Dependent Rats, Norsyifa Harun, Zurina Hassan, Surash Ramanathan, Mohammed Shoaib

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Introduction: Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth) is currently used as an alternative for the self-treatment of pain and management of opioid dependence and withdrawal. Due to the opioid-like effect of the plant’s active alkaloid, mitragynine (MG), the evaluation of its ability to maintain self-administration in animal models of opioid dependence appears to be great significance. Objectives: Here, the ability of MG to cross-substitute to the reinforcing effects of the synthetic narcotic fentanyl is investigated. Methods: Rats with implanted catheters were allowed to self-administer fentanyl (2.0 μg/kg/infusion) on a fixed-ratio 1 of schedule of reinforcement. Results: A significant increase in lever pressing …


Current Perspectives On The Therapeutic Potential Of Mitragyna Speciosa And Its Derivatives On Animal Model, Norsyifa Harun, Illa Syafiqah Johari, Rima Atria Japarin, Farah Wahida Suhaimi, Zurina Hassan, Mohammed Shoaib Jan 2021

Current Perspectives On The Therapeutic Potential Of Mitragyna Speciosa And Its Derivatives On Animal Model, Norsyifa Harun, Illa Syafiqah Johari, Rima Atria Japarin, Farah Wahida Suhaimi, Zurina Hassan, Mohammed Shoaib

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

The plant Mitragyna speciosa Korth. is receiving increased attention as a therapeutic substitution for opioid use disorder (OUD). The active alkaloids constituents of the plant, particularly mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, have been shown to modulate opioid receptors, acting as agonists at mu-opioid receptors. Given this pharmacology, several studies have examined the abuse and dependence potential of M. speciosa and its alkaloids in various animal models of dependence. In addition to action on opioid receptors, the Mitragyna alkaloids also appear to exert diverse activities at other receptors in the central nervous system which may explain the complex pharmacological profile of these alkaloids. …


Opioid Use Disorder: The Timeline For Medication Assisted Therapy, Alexander Cristofori Jan 2021

Opioid Use Disorder: The Timeline For Medication Assisted Therapy, Alexander Cristofori

Capstone Showcase

Opioid Use Disorder is patterns of opioid use leading to withdrawal, giving up important life events in order to use opioids, and excessive time spent using opioids, to name a few diagnostic criteria. The clinical progression of the disorder involves periods of acute exacerbation and remission that are cyclic in nature. Treatment is most effective when it includes both pharmacological and psychosocial modalities, referred to as medication assisted therapy (MAT). Three drugs used commonly in MAT-based treatment for OUD from oldest to newest include Methadone, Buprenorphine-naloxone, and Naltrexone. Treatment program models that prioritize total abstinence from the addictive substance attached …


Effects Of A Heroin Conjugate Vaccine On The Antinociceptive And Abuse-Related Effects Of Heroin In Rats And Monkeys, Kathryn L. Schwienteck Jan 2019

Effects Of A Heroin Conjugate Vaccine On The Antinociceptive And Abuse-Related Effects Of Heroin In Rats And Monkeys, Kathryn L. Schwienteck

Theses and Dissertations

The increase in heroin use is one factor contributing to the current opioid epidemic in the United States. There are three Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), and these include agonist (i.e. methadone and buprenorphine) and antagonist (i.e. naltrexone) therapies. Although these medications are effective for some patients, regulatory constraints for agonist therapies limit access and patient compliance for naltrexone is poor. The development of new therapies, such as immunopharmacotherapies, for the treatment of OUD is a priority for the National Institute of Drug Abuse. A heroin immunopharmacotherapy, or vaccine, produces …


Complexities Of Chronic Opioid Exposure, Maciej Gonek Jan 2018

Complexities Of Chronic Opioid Exposure, Maciej Gonek

Theses and Dissertations

Studies on repeated exposure to opioids have been carried out for decades yet the mechanisms for certain phenomena such as tolerance are still not fully understood. Furthermore, different medications, such as frequently prescribed benzodiazepines, or different disease states, such as HIV, have their own effects and interactions with chronic opioid exposure that are not fully understood. The overall objective of this dissertation was to investigate the complexities of chronic opioid exposure and how different disease states and medications may modulate the effects of chronic opioids. Our findings demonstrate that the administration of diazepam, at doses that are not antinociceptive or …


In Silico Study Of Newly Synthesized Opioid Analgesics Bound To Three Opioid Receptors, Abdullah Allaoa, Mai Zahran Dec 2017

In Silico Study Of Newly Synthesized Opioid Analgesics Bound To Three Opioid Receptors, Abdullah Allaoa, Mai Zahran

Publications and Research

Opioids are the most widely used drugs for the treatment of moderate to severe, chronic pain. They achieve antinociception by activation of mu (MOR-1), kappa (KOR-1), and delta (DOR-1) opioid receptors. Natural products found in kratom plant, Mitragyna speciosa, represent diverse chemical groups with opioid activity, providing opportunities to better understand opioid pharmacology. Pharmacology studies show that Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl is a mu agonist/delta antagonist opioid with a signaling bias for G-protein-mediated signaling pathways in vitro and which produced potent antinociception in vivo. Respiratory depression assays along with other behavioral testing also showed that some of the major problems …