Abstract | BACKGROUND: METHODS: Our major objective was to compare glutathione levels, determined by an HPLC-coulometric procedure, in autopsied brain of chronic heroin (n = 11) and cocaine users (n = 9), who were positive for the drugs in the brain, to those of matched controls (n = 16). Six brain regions were examined, including caudate, hippocampus, thalamus and frontal, temporal and insular cortices. RESULTS: In contrast to experimental animal findings, we found no statistically significant difference between mean levels of reduced or oxidized glutathione in the drug user vs. control groups. Moreover, no correlation was found between levels of drugs in the brain and those of glutathione. CONCLUSIONS: Acknowledging the many generic limitations of an autopsied human brain study and the preliminary nature of the findings, our data nevertheless suggest that any oxidative stress caused by heroin or cocaine in chronic users of the drugs might not be sufficient to cause substantial loss of stores of glutathione in the human brain, at least during early withdrawal. These findings, requiring replication, might also have some relevance to future clinical trials employing glutathione supplement therapy as an anti-oxidative strategy in chronic users of the two abused drugs.
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Authors | Junchao Tong, Paul S Fitzmaurice, Anna Moszczynska, Gausiha Rathitharan, Lee-Cyn Ang, Jeffrey H Meyer, Romina Mizrahi, Isabelle Boileau, Yoshiaki Furukawa, Tina McCluskey, Napapon Sailasuta, Stephen J Kish |
Journal | Drug and alcohol dependence
(Drug Alcohol Depend)
Vol. 190
Pg. 20-28
(09 01 2018)
ISSN: 1879-0046 [Electronic] Ireland |
PMID | 29960919
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Copyright | Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
Chemical References |
- Antioxidants
- Heroin
- Glutathione
- Cocaine
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Topics |
- Adult
- Antioxidants
(metabolism)
- Autopsy
- Brain
(drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
- Cocaine
(administration & dosage, adverse effects)
- Cocaine-Related Disorders
(metabolism, pathology)
- Female
- Glutathione
(metabolism)
- Heroin
(administration & dosage, adverse effects)
- Heroin Dependence
(metabolism, pathology)
- Humans
- Male
- Oxidative Stress
(drug effects, physiology)
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