The role of cocaine as an addictive drug of abuse in human society is hard to reconcile with its ecological role as a natural insecticide and plant-protective compound, preventing herbivory of coca plants (Erythroxylum spp.). This paradox is often explained by proposing a fundamental difference in mammalian and invertebrate responses to cocaine, but here we show effects of cocaine on honey bees...

The widespread abuse of cocaine, a highly addictive psychostimulant, places tremendous social, medical, and economic burdens on society. By improving our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of cocaine addiction, it may be possible to develop more effective therapeutic strategies and social policies aimed at reducing the abuse of cocaine. Cocaine inhibits the uptake of monoaminergic neuro...

Recent research suggests that drug-related memories are reactivated after exposure to environmental cues and may undergo reconsolidation, a process that can strengthen memories. Conversely, reconsolidation may be disrupted by certain pharmacological agents such that the drug-associated memory is weakened. Several studies have demonstrated disruption of memory reconsolidation using a drug-induce...

BACKGROUND Chronic amphetamine treatment decreases cocaine consumption in preclinical and human laboratory studies and in clinical trials. Lisdexamfetamine is an amphetamine prodrug in which L-lysine is conjugated to the terminal nitrogen of d-amphetamine. Prodrugs may be advantageous relative to their active metabolites due to slower onsets and longer durations of action; however, lisdexamfeta...

Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is a rare disorder characterized by microvascular injury and occlusion resulting in tissue ischemia and dysfunction. TMA occurs in a variety of settings including cocaine use. Although cocaine is widely used in the United States, cocaine-associated TMA is only rarely reported. Therefore, other factors may predispose cocaine users to the development of TMA. Emerg...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate quality of life (QL) and sleep quality impairment of cocaine chronic dependents in use of cocaine. METHOD 40 patients, chronic cocaine dependents were evaluated (37 M; 3 F), with mean age of 28.92 years, along with 40 controls paired for gender and age. The following instruments were used: a) the semi-structured clinical interview; b) the Brazil Economic Classification; ...

Repeated exposure to cocaine causes sensitized behavioral responses and increased dendritic spines on medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens (NAc). We find that cocaine regulates myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) transcription factors to control these two processes in vivo. Cocaine suppresses striatal MEF2 activity in part through a mechanism involving cAMP, the regulator of calmodulin si...

Drug addiction involves complex interactions between pharmacology and learning in genetically susceptible individuals. Members of the Homer gene family are regulated by acute and chronic cocaine administration. Here, we report that deletion of Homer1 or Homer2 in mice caused the same increase in sensitivity to cocaine-induced locomotion, conditioned reward, and augmented extracellular glutamate...

Dopamine D1 receptors play an important role in the effects of cocaine. Here, we investigated neurons which express these (D1-neurons) acute locomotor cocaine and sensitization observed after a second injection this drug, using previously established two-injection protocol sensitization. We inhibited D1-neurons double transgenic mice conditionally expressing inhibitory Gi-coupled designer recep...

De havens van Rotterdam en Antwerpen blijken keer op de belangrijkste Europese toegangspoorten voor cocaine. Eerdere studies wijzen een zekere inwisselbaarheid deze grootste in Europa criminelen die cocaine willen importeren verder verspreiden. In vergelijkende bijdrage wordt vraag gesteld of Antwerpse Rotterdamse haven in- doorvoer inwisselbaar zijn. beantwoording vindt plaats basis empirisch ...