Other Chemicals and Drugs Commons^™

Methamphetamine-Induced Dna Double-Stranded Breaks: The Impact Of The Dopamine Transporter And Insights Into The Mechanisms Of Dna Damage In Mouse Neuro 2a Cells, Lizette Couto

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Methamphetamine (METH) abuse remains a global health concern, with emerging evidence highlighting its genotoxic potential. In the central nervous system METH enters dopaminergic cells primarily through the dopamine transporter (DAT), which controls the dynamics of dopamine (DA) neurotransmission by driving the reuptake of extracellular DA into the presynaptic neuronal cell. Additional effects of METH on the storage of DA in synaptic vesicles lead to the dysregulated cytosolic accumulation of DA. Previous studies have shown that after METH disrupts intracellular vesicular stores of DA, the excess DA in the cytosol is rapidly oxidized. This generates an abundance of reactive oxygen species …

A Case Of Cannabis Smoking Induced Leukocytosis, Ramiro A. Rodriguez Jr., Rukayat Akande, Nevin Varghese

Research Colloquium

Background: Leukocytosis relates to infections, malignancies, stress response, and multiple intoxicants. Like other intoxicants, cannabis smoking can result in a persistent leukocytosis. Here we report a case of cannabis-induced leukocytosis.

Case Presentation: A 20-year-old Hispanic female with a history of anxiety disorder presented with 3-days of nausea, vomiting, and colicky abdominal pain. She endorsed heavy marijuana smoking as self-medication and compulsive hot showers for symptom relief. She was admitted for oral intake intolerance, concerning for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome. Her history demonstrated multiple admission for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome during which she demonstrated a leukocytosis which improved with abstinence of marijuana. Her …

Α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Interaction With G Proteins In Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation, Motility, And Calcium Signaling, Murat Oz, Justin R. King, Keun-Hang Susan Yang, Sarah Khushaish, Yulia Tchugunova, Maitham A. Khajah, Yunus A. Luqmani, Nadine Kabbani

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Chronic smoking is a primary risk factor for breast cancer due to the presence of various toxins and carcinogens within tobacco products. Nicotine is the primary addictive component of tobacco products and has been shown to promote breast cancer cell proliferation and metastases. Nicotine activates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) that are expressed in cancer cell lines. Here, we examine the role of the α7 nAChR in coupling to heterotrimeric G proteins within breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Pharmacological activation of the α7 nAChR using choline or nicotine was found to increase proliferation, motility, and calcium signaling in MCF-7 cells. This effect …

Growing Use Of Xylazine As An Adulterant In Opioids And Its Effects, Oluwapelumi Oluwo

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Xylazine, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is a non-opioid tranquilizer used in veterinary medicine. Although this drug has not been approved for human use, it can be linked to an increase in opioid overdose deaths due to its role as an adulterant in drugs like fentanyl.

Xylazine was detected in drugs involved in 41% of all opioid-involved unintentional deaths and in 44% of all unintentional overdose deaths with fentanyl involved in the year of 2021 in Philadelphia.

Release The Kratom: Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome In A 70 Year Old Male, Nardin El-Shammaa, Kyle Street, Narshima Pinninti

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Centuries in Eastern medicine.. Kratom has been commonly used for chronic pain and opiate withdrawal symptoms with first reported cases in the United States in the early 2000s. It is a plant that consists of psychoactive alkaloids that target opioid receptors with different affinity. Effects from Kratom are dose-dependent, at lower doses, it acts as a stimulant, while at higher doses produces analgesia and euphoria. Although Kratom is legal and easily accessible over the counter, there have been increasing reports of potential for addiction and toxicity. Cessation of Kratom can result in withdrawal symptoms similar to opiate withdrawal. Here we …

Electronic Cigarettes And Young Adults: Use Of Screening Tools And Provider Knowledge, Kayla Erin Chelf

DNP Projects

Background: Electronic Cigarette (e-cigarette) use is now more common than traditional cigarette use in adolescents and young adults (Dinardo & Rome, 2019). There is concern that the lack of screening for use and knowledge about the health consequences of e-cigarette use is driving this growth.

Objective: The purposes of this project were to (1) assess baseline e-cigarette knowledge and screening practices from healthcare professionals, and (2) evaluate changes in knowledge after delivery of an educational intervention about e-cigarettes.

Methods: In this quasi-experimental study a seven-question survey on screening practice and knowledge concerning e-cigarettes in young adults was posted on the …

Fighting Heroin Abuse With Heroin: How Legalizing Prescription Heroin Has Changed The Way New Generations Use Drugs, Claire Ridley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the 1980s, Switzerland was embroiled in two simultaneous crises: widespread heroin use and spreading HIV/AIDS. Zurich became the capital of heroin consumption, with groups gathering in public parks and sharing needles to inject heroin. In response to these crises, several Swiss cities started conducting randomized control trials where they offered prescription heroin to help people addicted to heroin consume the drug safely and eventually recover from their addiction. As these trials reported positive results of maintaining better health outcomes for those undergoing treatment, the Swiss people supported federally legalizing heroin-assisted treatment and expanding access to harm reduction services in …

Pharmacists’ Response To The Opioid Crisis: A California Naloxone Survey, Jerika T. Lam, Moom Roosan, Mary A. Gutierrez, Enrique Seoane-Vazquez

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

This study aimed to assess pharmacists’ response to the current opioid crisis in California, particularly regarding the prevalence of naloxone furnishing (or dispensing without a prescription) and prescriptions for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) drugs for opioid use disorder (OUD) to patients and consumers.

Data-Driven Analysis Of Drug And Substance Abuse Rates Across The Varying Regions In The United States Of America, Reem Saleh

University Honors Theses

Drugs and substance abuse is one of the leading causes of death for adolescents in the United States. The consequences of using these drugs are profound and can cause both damage to one's physical and psychological health. The rates of drug abuse in the United States continue to increase over the years. This paper analyzes the trends in rates of drug abuse in the four regions in the United States. It looks at the rates in cocaine, cigarettes, marijuana, and tobacco. A preliminary analysis was done to look at the trend in rates followed by an ARIMA time series model …

Analysis Of Gabapentinoids Abuse-Reports In The Middle East And North Africa Region Utilizing The Food And Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System, Mona Yaser Alsheikh, Ali Mofleh Alshahrani, Reem Dhayan Almutairi, Hana Abdulmohsen Althobaiti, Ahmed Ibrahim Fathelrahman, Enrique Seoane-Vazquez, Moudi Mubarak Alasmari

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify abuse-related post-marketing reports associated with gabapentinoids use in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region countries. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of abuse-related adverse drug event (ADE) reports from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It was performed using the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database from January 2008 through June 2020. Abuserelated ADE reports for gabapentin and pregabalin were extracted from the FAERS database. Descriptive statistics were performed, and the proportional reporting ratio (PRR) was calculated to detect disproportional attribution of abuse-related ADEs …

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 …

A Multivariable Model Of Parent Satisfaction, Pain, And Opioid Administration In A Pediatric Emergency Department, Candice D. Donaldson, Thomas W. Heyming, Louis Ehwerhemuepha, Brooke N. Jenkins, Michelle A. Fortier, William Feaster, Zeev N. Kain

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: Children and adolescents are not impervious to the unprecedented epidemic of opioid misuse in the United States. In 2016 more than 88,000 adolescents between the ages of 12–17 reported misusing opioid medication, and evidence suggests that there has been a rise in opioid-related mortality for pediatric patients. A major source of prescribed opioids for the treatment of pain is the emergency department (ED). The current study sought to assess the complex relationship between opioid administration, pain severity, and parent satisfaction with children’s care in a pediatric ED.

Methods: We examined data from a tertiary pediatric care facility. A health …

The Life-Saving Drug That No One Knows About: Naloxone Education And The Health Belief Model, Sarah Tilford

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Naloxone hydrochloride, popularly known by the brand name Narcan, is an emergency treatment used to reverse an overdose on opioid drugs. The CDC reports upwards of 26,000 individuals saved by naloxone between 1996 and 2014 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Despite this success rate, those outside of the medical field largely remain unaware of what naloxone is or how they can use it in an emergency, leading to needless loss of life. Many studies focusing on naloxone access and education have been unable to offer findings meant to increase the use and ownership of the drug by lay …

Mhpaea & Marble Cake: Parity & The Forgotten Frame Of Federalism, Taleed El-Sabawi

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

No abstract provided.

Non-Pharmacological Interventions For Alcohol, Marijuana, And Opioid Use During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review, Hannah Safranek, Madeline Frausto, Amy King, Stoneking Madison

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this review is to analyze evidence on prevalence of opioid, alcohol and marijuana use during pregnancy and answer the PICOT question: In pregnant women addicted to or using marijuana, opioids, and alcohol, how do non-pharmacological interventions, compared to standard care of pharmacological interventions alone, affect health outcomes in mothers and neonates between birth to hospital discharge? Diagnosis of substance use disorder is increasing and with it comes increased risk of complications to mother and neonate including neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and other negative neonatal and maternal outcomes. Evidence was identified on the online …

The Effect Of The Oxytocin Hormone In Cocaine Addicted Rats Suffering From Abstinence Syndrome, Juan Padilla

The International Student Science Fair 2018

This study aimed to understand the effects of oxytocin in cocaine-addicted rats to prove its ability to help recovering drug addicts overcome the extreme anxiety and craving that makes them relapse during their rehabilitation.

Calling Attention To The Growing Heroin Epidemic And How To Fight It, Kendal Rozaieski

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of creating a grassroots heroin awareness organization on a university campus through qualitative research. Various meeting types were attended as the grassroots efforts began: a student organization dedicated to the cause, the campus Alcohol and Other Drug Board, a local community treatment center agency, multiple University of Akron faculty members, and other heroin awareness groups in the community. Through observation and journaling of these meetings, I am sharing my experience based off analyzed field notes. After analyzation of these notes, common themes related to the formation of this kind of …

5-Ht2b Receptor-Mediated Cardiac Valvulopathy, Pallavi Nistala

Theses and Dissertations

5-HT_2B receptor agonism causes cardiac valvulopathy, a condition characterized by thickening of the heart valves and as a result, regurgitation of blood within the heart. The anti-obesity drug fenfluramine, which was originally prescribed as an anorectic, was withdrawn from the market due to causing cardiac valvulopathy. Fenfluramine, after metabolism by N-dealkylation, produces the metabolite norfenfluramine, which acts as a more potent valvulopathogen. The same was seen with MDMA (ecstasy), a popular drug of abuse, which is metabolized by N-dealkylation to produce MDA, a more potent valvulopathogen. Glennon and co-workers. studied a series of 2,5-dimethoxy-4- substituted phenylisopropylamines (DOX type) hallucinogens …

Analyzing The Effectiviness Of A Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Targeting At-Risk Opioid Abuse Patients, Treadway Childs

Public Administration ETDs

The effectiveness of a prescription drug monitoring program in coordination with a prescription opioid recidivism program was examined at a semi-rural community hospital. Patients were identified by a multi-disciplinary committee to be at-risk for opioid misuse or abuse, and were denied prescription opioids. Patients were considered eligible for the program if they had over 12 emergency department visits in the previous 12 months, or 6 visits in the previous 6 months, depending on how long the hospital had records on a patient. Patients who were placed in the prescription opioid recidivism program could not receive opioids at this hospital. The …

A Descriptive Study Of The Elderly In California Substance Abuse Treatment Programs, David Berenschot

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As gerontologists may know, there are a great deal of studies and a variety of academic literature on the misuse of alcohol and prescription medication amongst the elderly population. While there is a plethora of information on alcohol and prescription misuse, there is little reported data about the prevalence of other substance misuse experienced by this population. This study aims to help to fill that gap in the data by using quantitative methods to describe the scope of substance abuse of individuals 55-years or older. This study utilizes data from the Treatment Data Set Admission (TEDS-A). The TEDS-A is a …

Relationships Between Delinquency And Substance Use Among Adolescents Emancipating From Foster Care, Svetlana Shpiegel, Jamey J. Lister, Richard Isralowitz

Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Adolescents emancipating from foster care exhibit high rates of both delinquency and substance use, although it is less clear how these behaviors relate to one another. We aimed to examine the reciprocal relationships between these risk behaviors while accounting for relevant child welfare factors. We use data from the Multi-Site Evaluation of Foster Youth Programs to explore longitudinal associations between delinquent behaviors and substance use (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana) among youths ages 17 and 18 (N = 429). Delinquency at age 17 was a positive predictor of substance use at age 18, after controlling for baseline use of substances. …

An In Vivo Study Of The Effects Of Perinatal Caffeine Exposure On Synaptic Efficacy In The Hippocampus Of Freely Moving Adult Rats, Jee Eun Park

Senior Theses and Projects

The synapse from the perforant path to the dentate gyrus has been widely used successfully to demonstrate long-term potentiation, a cellular model underlying learning and memory. Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed psychoactive stimulants in the world. Caffeine consumption increases in alertness, improvements in motor skills, and neurological functions, and these effects have promoted its use throughout history. Although the many short term cognitive benefits of caffeine intake are well understood, the long term effects of caffeine exposure have been widely disputed. Despite this, it is estimated that over 80% of women continue to consume caffeine throughout pregnancy. …

The Cost Of Alcohol And Drug Abuse In Maine, 2015, Marcella H. Sorg, Jamie A. Wren

Health & Public Safety

No abstract provided.

Consumer Hookah Consumption: Is The Hubble Bubble The New Coffee And Cocktail?, Tracy Harmon-Kizer

Tracy R. Harmon-Kizer Ph.D.

Hookah smoking is a growing practice among American teens and young adults. In a single hookah smoking session, a smoker may inhale 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled in a single cigarette. Yet, the risks and adverse consequences of hookah smoking are relatively unfamiliar to health professionals, tobacco policy regulators and consumer behavior researchers. To extend our understanding of this epidemic-like consumption practice, this study explores consumer initiation and continued practice, and the meanings, attitudes and beliefs held by those who smoke hookah, especially with respect to cigarette smoking. Our findings reveal adulterated ways in which hookah …

Quantitative Analysis Of Some Important Metals And Metalloids In Tobacco Products By Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (Icp-Ms), Syed Ghulam Musharraf, Muhammad Shoaib, Amna Jabbar Siddiqui, Muhammad Najam-Ul-Haq, Aftab Ahmed

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Large scale usage of tobacco causes a lot of health troubles in human. Various formulations of tobacco are extensively used by the people particularly in developing world. Besides several toxic tobacco constituents some metals and metalloids are also believed to pose health risks. This paper describes inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric (ICP-MS) quantification of some important metals and metalloids in various brands of smoked, sniffed, dipped and chewed tobacco products.

Results: A microwave-assisted digestion method was used for sample preparation. The method was validated by analyzing a certified reference material. Percentage relative standard deviation (% R.S.D.) between recovered …

Reducing Overdose Deaths Associated With Pharmaceutical Opioid Treatment Of Chronic Pain: Analyzing Interventions With A System Dynamics Model, Wayne Wakeland

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

A dramatic rise in the use pharmaceutical opioids to treat pain, and the associated opioid abuse and addiction, has created a substantial public health problem in the United States. Effective tools and interventions are needed to identify policies to reduce opioid abuse, addiction, and overdose deaths. A system dynamics model is used to identify policy interventions that will reduce the prevalence of adverse outcomes attributed to pharmaceutical opioids. Results suggest that it will be difficult to minimize negative outcomes without adversely affecting the degree to which chronic pain patients can access pharmaceutical treatment, and also indicate the importance of the …

La Correlación Entre El Autoestima Y La Intención De Cambiar En Seis Ámbitos De La Vida De Un Fumador Adolescente., Aaron Picus

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: According to a study in 2008 by the National Agency for the Control of Narcotics, 26.1% of Chilean adolescents between the ages of 12-18 had used tobacco at least once during the month of the study and 13% used tobacco daily. Even though smoking has negative health effects, many adolescents in Chile still smoke. Since the 1970s, low self-esteem has been proposed as a risk factor for the development of poor health behaviors. Recent investigations have shown that, when measured in the social, school, family, self-body image, sports and physical activity, and global realms of the life of an …

Fetal Cocaine Exposure Causes Epigenetic Changes In The Rat Heart, Kurt D. Meyer

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Cocaine abuse continues to be prevalent in the United States and other industrialized nations, in addition to the negative health effects that cocaine abuse has on the user, a mother who uses cocaine while pregnant also exposes the developing fetus to cocaine. Although there have been many studies of the effects of cocaine on the adult heart, studies of cocaine on the fetal heart and its potential delayed pathophysiological effects on cardiac function in adult offspring are extremely limited. The studies of the present project sought to enhance the understanding of the effect of cocaine exposure on the fetal heart …