Two New Compounds to Treat Addiction Cigarettes and Alcohol

Researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco, and Pfizer Inc., has determined that two new compounds may be effective in treating alcohol and nicotine dependence at the same time.

In a paper published in the November 3 issue of Neuropsychopharmacology 2010, the researchers showed that alcohol consumption in rats was significantly lowered by two compounds that are targeted to neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtype of {alpha} 3 {beta} 4 *.

nAChRs are proteins found in the brain and central nervous system that mediate the broader effects of substances such as nicotine. A recent study of human genetics have shown that the gene encoding alpha} {subtype {3} beta4 * very significant for susceptibility to alcohol and nicotine dependence.

"This problem has been translating important genetic findings in a more effective treatment for humans," says co-senior author, Selena E. Bartlett, PhD, director of Preclinical Development group at the Gallo Center. The lead author of the study is Susmita Chatterjee, PhD, from the Gallo Center.
Work has been done in collaboration with scientists led by senior co-author, Hans Rollema, PhD, in Neuroscience Research Unit at Pfizer Inc.

One new compound, CP-601 932, has been declared safe in humans in a clinical study, notes Bartlett. He recommends a clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of compounds and the potential benefits in treating both alcohol and nicotine dependence.

Another compound is PF-4575180. Both were developed by Pfizer.
"Alcoholism and nicotine are often treated as a separate disorder," says Bartlett, "despite the fact that 60 to 80 percent of heavy drinkers also smoked tobacco. Very few effective strategies for treating these disorders separately, let alone simultaneously. Our data show that by targeting specific nAChR subtypes, it is possible to treat alcohol and nicotine dependence with one drug. "

While the compound has a significant impact on alcohol consumption in mice, sucrose intake has no effect. "This indicates that unlike other drugs already approved for the misuse of alcohol, these compounds do not interfere with the brain's natural pengimbalan system in a more broad," said Bartlett.
Co-author of the study are Pia Steensland of the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; Jeffrey A. Simms and Joan Holgate of the Gallo Center, and Jotham W. Coe, Raymond S. Hurst, Christopher L. Shaffer and John Lowe of Pfizer.

The research was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Defense, State of California, the Foundation Boncompagni-Ludovisi BLANCEFLOR, née Bildt, the Swedish-American Foundation, and Insamlingsstiftelsen Hjärnfonden / Swedish Brain Foundation.

UCSF - affiliated Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center is one of the world's leading academic centers to study the biological basis of substance and alcohol use disorders. Gallo Center found a potential target molecules for therapeutic drug development that extended through the study of proof-of-concept clinical and preclinical.

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

Alcohol Help Improve Brain Memory?

Drinking alcohol activate certain areas of our brain to learn and remember better, as those found in a recent study from the Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research at The University of Texas at Austin.
The general view that drinking alcohol is bad for learning and memory is not wrong, says neurobiologist Hitoshi Morikawa expert, but this study highlights only one side of the consumption of ethanol into the brain.

"Usually, when we talk about learning and memory, we're talking about conscious memory," said Morikawa, who announced his research last month in The Journal of Neuroscience. "Alcohol reduces our ability to hold on to pieces of information such as your colleague's name, or definition of a word, or where you parked the car this morning. But our subconscious as well do the learning and remembering, and alcohol can actually improve our ability to learn or 'kondisibilitas', at that level. "

Morikawa study, which found that repeated exposure to ethanol increases the plasticity of synapses in key areas in the brain, is further evidence of the presence of consensus in the neuroscience community where drug and alcohol addiction is fundamentally a disorder of learning and memory.

When we drink alcohol (or using heroin, cocaine or smoke, or drink methamphetamine), our subconscious are learning to consume more. But it does not stop there. We become more open to form a subconscious memory and habits with respect to food, music, even people and social situations.

In an important sense, says Morikawa, alcoholics are not addicted to the experience of pleasure or help them get it from drinking alcohol. They are addicted to the constellation of environmental cues, behavioral and physiological reinforced when alcohol triggers the release of dopamine in the brain.

"People usually think of dopamine as a transmitter happiness, or pleasure transmitter, but also more accurate transmitters of learning," Morikawa said. "It strengthens the synapses-sipnasis active when dopamine is released."

Alcohol, in this model, is the pusher. He hijacked the dopaminergic system, and the brain tells us that what we are doing at the time was pengimbalan (and thus worthy of repeated).

Among the things we learned is that drinking alcohol is pengimbalan. We also learn that going to the bar, chatting with friends, eating certain foods and listening to certain type of music is pengimbalan. The more often we do something while drinking alcohol, and more dopamine is released, the more "mempotensasikan" various synapses and the more we crave set of experiences and associations that orbit around the use of alcohol.

Hope Morikawa long term is that by better understanding the neurobiological basis of addiction, he can develop anti-addiction drugs that will weaken rather than strengthen, the key synapses. And if he can do that, he will be able to erase the subconscious memory of addiction.

"We're talking about things-cable termination," Morikawa said. "It's a little scary because it has the potential to become a substance that controls the mind. Nevertheless, our goal is to reverse the mind control that mengaspek addictive drug

Sources: Alcohol Helps the Brain Remember, Says New Study (utexas.edu)B. E. Bernier, L. R. Whitaker, H. Morikawa. Previous Ethanol Experience Enhances Synaptic Plasticity of NMDA Receptors in the Ventral Tegmental Area. Journal of Neuroscience, 2011; 31 (14): 5205 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5282-10.2011

Hazardous Contents of Cigarette Smoke

The content of cigarettes can be determined in two ways, directly examine cigarette, or check out the smoke. Cigarette smoke itself there are two types: Smoke coming out of the burning at the tip of the cigarette and the smoke is inhaled by the smoker through the suction tip cigarettes (either a filter or not). The following discussion only on the substances contained in cigarette smoke alone (without looking at the end where the smoke).

There is conclusive evidence that the tar contained in tobacco smoke can cause lung cancer; main factor is the age when individuals begin to smoke, depth of suction and the number of cigarettes consumed per day. Polonium, a radioactive element, is also known to be present in cigarette smoke; more than 100 compounds have been found, including nicotine, cresol, carbon monoxide, pyridene and benzopyrene, which latter is a carcinogen (causes cancer).

Ammonia: 
Molecular formula NH 3. Commonly used for fertilizer and the plant fibers and plastic intermediaries. Has been known since antiquity. At standard temperature and pressure, NH 3 is a colorless gas with the smell when it is in small concentrations. In large concentrations, is able to produce a sensation when inhaled.

Arsenic: 
As a chemical compound with the symbol. Atomic number 33. Sublimes unchanged when heated and the air is dry, but the oxide film formed in moist air. When heated at a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius in air to form arsenic trioxide garlic-smelling and toxic.

Butane: 
Molecular formula C4H10. Is one type of acyclic saturated hydrocarbons. Low toxicity.

Cadmium: 
Chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. Always associated with zinc, although only prepare the crust 0:15 ppm in sequence to 57. Have toxic properties, especially in the form of powder and chunks. Its main benefit is to strengthen the resistance against corrosion.

Carbon monoxide: 
Molecular formula CO, is a type of carbon oxides. Is an inorganic carbon compounds. Is the result of incomplete combustion because it only contains one atom of oxygen. Found in exhaust fumes. Odorless and colorless but very poisonous. Affinity of blood hemoglobin 300 times more powerful than oxygen so that exposure to this gas can reduce or completely eliminate the ability of hemoglobin to transport oxygen around the body, causing death when in high concentrations.

Hydrogen Cyanide: 
Chemical formula HCN. Highly toxic. Is the result of the reaction of ammonia, methane, oxygen and nitrogen.

Methanol: 
Other names methyl alcohol. Chemical formula CH3OH. When burned, methanol has a transparent blue smoke with fire. The biggest influence on the mucous membranes. In the body, this product is formed by oxidation with formaldehyde and formik acid, both toxic.

Naphthalene: 
This compound is a derivative of coal tar. It is the product of distillation of crude tar into oil chemistry. Giving a chemical solution to the oil producing caustik oil layer. Oil layer is then given an acid solution so that a layer of neutral oil. Layer of neutral oil in the distillation and then the end product is naphthalene.

Phenol: 
Chemical formula C6H5OH, another name carbolic acid, acid fenilik, benzofenol or hidroksibenzena. Is the simplest aromatic hydroxy compounds. Phenol is also the most important petrochemicals. Usually used for coating the plywood. It has a distinctive odor and sharp burning sensations. Toxic if inhaled, ingested or absorbed by the skin. He also lead to irritation. If there is a solution of a very weak, it will taste sweet.

Polonium - 210: 
Polonium isotopes of chemical elements. Polonium is the most stable isotopes of radioactive uranium in the series with a half (half-life) 138.4 days. Occur naturally only as a result of decay of thorium and uranium.

Toluene: 
Chemical formula C7H8. General produced jointly with gasoline, xylena, and C9 aromatics through the formation of C6-C9 reset catalytic naphtha.

Urethane: 
Its chemical formula is CO (NH2) OC2H5, also called ethyl ethyl carbamate or urethane. Formed by heating of ethanol and urea nitrate at a temperature of 120-130 degrees Celsius, or because the action of ammonia on ethyl carbonate or ethyl chloroformate.

Vinyl chloride: 
The chemical formula CH2 = CHCl. Greatest influence on human skin that can cause Raynaud's syndrome, bone lysis in the distal finger and dermatitis fibrous. Inhalation of gaseous vinyl chloride over many years can cause a rare type of liver cancer, angiosarcoma. Vinyl chloride is used as a base for the manufacture of PVC plastic.

Reference:Van Nostrand's Encyclopedia of Science