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The New England Journal of Medicine Aug 2009
Topics: Drug Prescriptions; Drug and Narcotic Control; Heroin; Heroin Dependence; History, 20th Century; Humans; Illicit Drugs; Methadone; Narcotics; Politics; United Kingdom; United States
PubMed: 19692694
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMe0904243 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024The analysis of heroin samples, before use in the protected environment of user centra, could be a supplementary service in the context of harm reduction. Infrared...
The analysis of heroin samples, before use in the protected environment of user centra, could be a supplementary service in the context of harm reduction. Infrared spectroscopy hyphenated with multivariate calibration could be a valuable asset in this context, and therefore 125 heroin samples were collected directly from users and analysed with classical chromatographic techniques. Further, Mid-Infrared spectra were collected for all samples, to be used in Partial Least Squares (PLS) modelling, in order to obtain qualitative and quantitative models based on real live samples. The approach showed that it was possible to identify and quantify heroin in the samples based on the collected spectral data and PLS modelling. These models were able to identify heroin correctly for 96% of the samples of the external test set with precision, specificity and sensitivity values of 100.0, 75.0 and 95.5%, respectively. For regression, a root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.04 was obtained, pointing at good predictive properties. Furthermore, during mass spectrometric screening, 10 different adulterants and impurities were encountered. Using the spectral data to model the presence of each of these resulted in performant models for seven of them. All models showed promising correct-classification rates (between 92 and 96%) and good values for sensitivity, specificity and precision. For codeine and morphine, the models were not satisfactory, probably due to the low concentration of these impurities as a consequence of acetylation. For methacetin, the approach failed.
Topics: Heroin; Calibration; Spectrophotometry, Infrared; Least-Squares Analysis
PubMed: 38474628
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29051116 -
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association... Feb 2018
Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Heroin; Humans; Pain; Palliative Care
PubMed: 29431114
DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.733520 -
Science Advances Jun 2023Opioid use disorder (OUD) looms as one of the most severe medical crises facing society. More effective therapeutics will require a deeper understanding of molecular...
Opioid use disorder (OUD) looms as one of the most severe medical crises facing society. More effective therapeutics will require a deeper understanding of molecular changes supporting drug-taking and relapse. Here, we develop a brain reward circuit-wide atlas of opioid-induced transcriptional regulation by combining RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and heroin self-administration in male mice modeling multiple OUD-relevant conditions: acute heroin exposure, chronic heroin intake, context-induced drug-seeking following abstinence, and relapse. Bioinformatics analysis of this rich dataset identified numerous patterns of transcriptional regulation, with both region-specific and pan-circuit biological domains affected by heroin. Integration of RNA-seq data with OUD-relevant behavioral outcomes uncovered region-specific molecular changes and biological processes that predispose to OUD vulnerability. Comparisons with human OUD RNA-seq and genome-wide association study data revealed convergent molecular abnormalities and gene candidates with high therapeutic potential. These studies outline molecular reprogramming underlying OUD and provide a foundational resource for future investigations into mechanisms and treatment strategies.
Topics: Humans; Mice; Male; Animals; Heroin; Genome-Wide Association Study; Brain; Reward; Opioid-Related Disorders; Recurrence
PubMed: 37294757
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg8558 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2022The number of drug overdose deaths involving opioids continues to rise in the United States. Many patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) that seek treatment still...
The number of drug overdose deaths involving opioids continues to rise in the United States. Many patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) that seek treatment still experience relapse. Perseverant opioid seeking behaviors represent a major challenge to treating OUD and additional therapeutic development will require insight into opioid-induced neurobiological adaptations. In this study, we explored the regulation of a novel class of RNAs, circular RNAs (circRNAs), by the addictive opioid heroin in the rat orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a brain region that mediates behavioral responses to rewarding stimuli. Microarray analysis identified 76 OFC circRNAs significantly regulated in male rats after heroin self-administration. We evaluated the specificity of these findings by measuring heroin-associated circRNA expression in female rats after heroin self-administration and in rats that self-administered sucrose. We identify circGrin2b, circUbe2cp, circAnks1a, circAdcy5 and circSlc24A2 as heroin-responsive circRNAs in the OFC. Linear mRNA levels of heroin-associated circRNAs were unchanged except for and . An integrated bioinformatics analysis of regulated circRNAs identified microRNAs predicted to bind heroin-associated circRNAs and downstream targets of circRNA: microRNA sponging. Thus, heroin regulates the expression of OFC RNA splice variants that circularize and may impact cellular processes that contribute to the neurobiological adaptations that arise from chronic heroin exposure.
Topics: Animals; Exons; Female; Frontal Lobe; Gene Expression Regulation; Genome; Heroin; Male; MicroRNAs; Orbit; RNA, Circular; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reproducibility of Results; Reward; Self Administration; Sucrose; Rats
PubMed: 35163373
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031453 -
Drug and Alcohol Dependence Sep 2017Several recent studies have investigated the choice between heroin and a non-drug alternative reinforcer in rats. A common finding in these studies is that there are...
BACKGROUND
Several recent studies have investigated the choice between heroin and a non-drug alternative reinforcer in rats. A common finding in these studies is that there are large individual differences in preference, with some rats preferring heroin and some preferring the non-drug alternative. The primary goal of the present study was to determine whether individual differences in how heroin or saccharin is valued, based on demand analysis, predicts choice.
METHODS
Rats lever-pressed for heroin infusions and saccharin reinforcers on fixed-ratio schedules. The essential value of each reinforcer was obtained from resulting demand curves. Rats were then trained on a mutually exclusive choice procedure where pressing one lever resulted in heroin and pressing another resulted in saccharin. After seven sessions of increased access to heroin or saccharin, rats were reexposed to the demand and choice procedures.
RESULTS
Demand for heroin was more elastic than demand for saccharin (i.e., heroin had lower essential value than saccharin). When allowed to choose, most rats preferred saccharin. The essential value of heroin, but not saccharin, predicted preference. The essential value of both heroin and saccharin increased following a week of increased access to heroin, but similar saccharin exposure had no effect on essential value. Preference was unchanged after increased access to either reinforcer.
CONCLUSION
Heroin-preferring rats differed from saccharin-preferring rats in how they valued heroin, but not saccharin. To the extent that choice models addiction-related behavior, these results suggest that overvaluation of opioids specifically, rather than undervaluation of non-drug alternatives, could identify susceptible individuals.
Topics: Animals; Behavior, Addictive; Choice Behavior; Heroin; Male; Rats; Saccharin
PubMed: 28645064
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.04.031 -
Science & Justice : Journal of the... Jul 2022Insects present on or near decomposing bodies are collected by forensic entomologists and used to estimate the post-mortem interval. Drugs metabolized by a person before...
Insects present on or near decomposing bodies are collected by forensic entomologists and used to estimate the post-mortem interval. Drugs metabolized by a person before death may affect the rate of development of insects feeding on the corpse. This study aimed to determine the effects of cocaine and heroin main metabolites on the development rate of the Calliphora vomitoria (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and their implications on minimum post-mortem interval determination. Groups of 250 eggs each were placed into four separate pots of 150 g of minced pork meat being either un-spiked, or spiked with benzoylecgonine, morphine, or a combination of both. Larval length (mm) and weight (mg) measurements were taken twice daily and the rate of development of the insects' life cycle was monitored until eclosion. Results show that cocaine-fed larvae developed less in length and weight than the control group. Heroin-fed larvae showed a more fluctuating pattern, being smaller and lighter than the control group for most of their larval cycle, but overtaking them in both parameters towards pupation. Combination-fed larvae seemed to favour the effects of cocaine. The three conditions also had a significant impact on the length of the insects' life cycle. Cocaine and drug combination treatments increased the length of the second and third instar stages, but led to the shortening of pupation and accelerated eclosion. Conversely, heroin treatment led to lengthier pupation. Interestingly, the effects of the drug combination seemed to mirror more precisely those of cocaine. These findings indicate that both cocaine and heroin, singularly and in combination, have sizable effects on blowflies' development rates, potentially biasing post-mortem interval estimations.
Topics: Animals; Calliphoridae; Cocaine; Diptera; Entomology; Heroin; Humans; Larva
PubMed: 35931453
DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2022.07.001 -
Harm Reduction Journal Sep 2021Heroin and cocaine are among the most dangerous illicit drugs available and their presence on the market is increasing. These facts have led to the investigation of the...
BACKGROUND
Heroin and cocaine are among the most dangerous illicit drugs available and their presence on the market is increasing. These facts have led to the investigation of the quality of heroin and cocaine samples seized in Luxembourg by police and customs but also collected at the national supervised drug consumption facilities.
METHODS
Samples obtained from 2019 to 2020 were analyzed to determine their composition and content using GC-MS, HPLC-UV and LC-Q-ToF. The statistical evaluation of concentration changes depending on the source of collection is based on an ANOVA single factor test and a two-tailed t test.
RESULTS
Results showed important differences between seizure and collection sources. For both drugs, customs samples had significantly higher concentrations than police samples and the latter had significantly higher concentrations than samples from drug consumption facilities, whereas for heroin two cutting steps were identified, for cocaine samples only one appears to occur on the local market. Indeed, cocaine samples seized by police consisted of a mixture of low and high concentration samples.
CONCLUSION
The results show that extensive adulteration with pharmacological active and inactive compounds takes place at local levels, which, however, are different for heroin and cocaine. This knowledge on variability of quality of drugs should be considered in the elaboration of drug and harm prevention strategies.
Topics: Cocaine; Drug Contamination; Heroin; Humans; Illicit Drugs; Luxembourg
PubMed: 34530816
DOI: 10.1186/s12954-021-00544-x -
Revue Medicale de Liege 2013Heroin (or diacetylmorphine), a depressant nervous central system, is a semi-synthetic opiate. Its main adverse effect, respiratory depression, can lead to death,...
Heroin (or diacetylmorphine), a depressant nervous central system, is a semi-synthetic opiate. Its main adverse effect, respiratory depression, can lead to death, especially after an intravenous injection. By loss of tolerance, an overdose can be lethal following heroin use after a period of abstinence (voluntary or not). Mortality rate among heroin users is between 1 and 3%. Addiction, following a regular and continuous use, occurs in less than a quarter of persons who ever tried heroine. Heroin addicts often present with different problems (for instance, a criminal behaviour), without any obvious link with addiction. For a fraction of the addicts, addiction becomes a chronic relapsing disease, requiring a long term maintenance substitution therapy. However, relapses and sometimes continuous heroin use are frequent, For treatment resistant and severe heroin addicts, heroin-assisted treatment can be a solution. Despite the numerous available therapies, heroin is considered to be the drug with the most negative effects on the user.
Topics: HIV Infections; Hepatitis C; Heroin; Heroin Dependence; Humans; Molecular Structure; Narcotics; Needle Sharing
PubMed: 23888578
DOI: No ID Found -
Psychopharmacology May 2022Opioids are effective medications, but they have several key limitations including the development of tolerance, establishment of dependence, diversion for non-medical...
RATIONALE
Opioids are effective medications, but they have several key limitations including the development of tolerance, establishment of dependence, diversion for non-medical use, and the development of addiction. Therefore, any drugs which act in an additive or synergistic fashion with opioids to address medical applications have the potential to reduce opioid-related harms.
OBJECTIVES
To determine if heroin and Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) interact in an additive or independent manner to alter nociception, body temperature, and spontaneous locomotor activity when inhaled or injected.
METHODS
Groups of female and male rats, implanted with radiotelemetry transmitters, were exposed to vapor generated from heroin (50 mg/mL in propylene glycol vehicle; PG), THC (50 mg/mL), or the combination for assessment of effects on temperature and activity. Thermal nociception was assessed with a warm water tail-withdrawal assay.
RESULTS
Heroin inhalation increased temperature and activity whereas THC inhalation decreased temperature and activity in both female and male Sprague-Dawley rats. Effects of combined inhalation were in opposition, and additional experiments found the same outcome for the injection of heroin (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) and THC (10 mg/kg, i.p.) alone and in combination. In contrast, the co-administration of heroin and THC by either inhalation or injection produced additive effects on thermal nociception in both male and female Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rats.
CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that additive effects of THC with an opioid on a medical endpoint such as analgesia may not generalize to other behavioral or physiological effects, which may be a positive outcome for unwanted side effects.
Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Animals; Dronabinol; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Female; Heroin; Male; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rats, Wistar
PubMed: 34160641
DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05904-w