With the proliferation of synthetic drugs, research on the mechanism of action of addictive drugs and treatment methods is of great significance. Among them, methamphetamine (METH) is the most representative amphetamine synthetic drug, and the treatment of METH addiction has become an urgent medical and social problem. In recent years, the therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal medicines on METH addiction have gained widespread attention because of their non-addictiveness, multiple targets, low side effects, low cost, and other characteristics. Previous studies have identified a variety of Chinese herbal medicines with effects on METH addiction. Based on the research on METH in recent years, this article summarizes the mechanism of action of METH as the starting point and briefly reviews the Chinese herbal medicine-based treatment of METH.
Humans ; Methamphetamine/adverse effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Amphetamine/therapeutic use* ; Behavior, Addictive/drug therapy* ; Amphetamine-Related Disorders/drug therapy*

Drug problem is a major social and public security problem in the world. Drug abuse poses a great threat to economic development, social stability and public health. In recent years, synthetic drugs represented by methamphetamine have surpassed traditional drugs such as morphine, heroin, ketamine and become one of the most abused drugs in the world. In order to solve the problem of drug abuse, it is of great theoretical value and practical significance to carry out all-round and multi-level scientific research on drug-related issues. Based on the current situation of drug abuse, this article reviews research progresses on the epidemiology of methamphetamine abuse, the monitoring technology, the basic researches on toxicity damage, the withdrawal drug screening, the related clinical comorbidity and the testing technologies, comprehensively presenting the development trend of methamphetamine abuse related issues.
Amphetamine-Related Disorders/epidemiology* ; Heroin ; Humans ; Illicit Drugs ; Methamphetamine/adverse effects* ; Substance Abuse Detection

The ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) proteins are a family of membrane-associated proteins known to play roles in cell-shape determination as well as in signaling pathways. We have previously shown that amphetamine decreases phosphorylation levels of these proteins in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), an important neuronal substrate mediating rewarding effects of drugs of abuse. In the present study, we further examined what molecular pathways may be involved in this process. By direct microinjection of LY294002, a PI3 kinase inhibitor, or of S9 peptide, a proposed GSK3β activator, into the NAcc core, we found that phosphorylation levels of ERM as well as of GSK3β in this site are simultaneously decreased. These results indicate that ERM proteins are under the regulation of Akt-GSK3β signaling pathway in the NAcc core. The present findings have a significant implication to a novel signal pathway possibly leading to structural plasticity in relation with drug addiction.
Amphetamine ; Animals ; Glycogen Synthase Kinases ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; Microinjections ; Negotiating ; Neurons ; Nucleus Accumbens ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; Plastics ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; Rats ; Reward ; Signal Transduction ; Street Drugs ; Substance-Related Disorders

To explore the mechanism for changes in brain microstructure in long-term abstinent from methamphetamine-dependence by using the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
 Methods: A total of 26 patients with long-term abstinent methamphetamine-dependence, whose abstinence time more than 14 months, and 26 normal controls all underwent cognitive executive function tests and DTI scans. We used voxel-based analysis to compare the fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) to obtain the abnormal brain regions of DTI parameters between the two groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between FA, MD of the brain regions with abnormal parameters and cognitive executive function tests.
 Results: There were no statistical differences in the cognitive executive function tests between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with the normal control group, the long-term abstinent from methamphetamine-dependence group showed the decreased FA in the right precuneus, right superior frontal gyrus, right calcarine, left inferior temporal gyrus and the increased MD in the right triangular part of inferior frontal gyrus, right precuneus, right posterior cingulate, right middle temporal gyrus, bilateral middle occipital gyrus, left superior parietal lobule, and lobule VIII of cerebellar hemisphere. The MD values of the right middle temporal gyrus in the long-term abstinent group were negatively correlated with the number of completions within 60 seconds (r=-0.504) and within 120 seconds (r=-0.464) .
 Conclusion: The DTI parameters in multiple brain regions from the methamphetamine-dependence patients are still abnormal after a long-term abstinence. DTI can provide imaging evidence for brain microstructural abnormalities in long-term abstinent from methamphetamine-dependence.
Amphetamine-Related Disorders ; Anisotropy ; Brain ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Humans ; Methamphetamine

Behavioral adjustment plays an important role in the treatment and relapse of drug addiction. Nonetheless, few studies have examined behavioral adjustment and its plasticity following error commission in methamphetamine (METH) dependence, which is detrimental to human health. Thus, we investigated the behavioral adjustment performance following error commission in long-term METH addicts and how it varied with the application of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Twenty-nine male long-term METH addicts (for > 3 years) were randomly assigned to high-frequency (10 Hz, n = 15) or sham (n = 14) rTMS of the left DLPFC during a two-choice oddball task. Twenty-six age-matched, healthy male adults participated in the two-choice oddball task pretest to establish normal performance for comparison. The results showed that 10 Hz rTMS over the left DLPFC significantly decreased the post-error slowing effect in response times of METH addicts. In addition, the 10 Hz rTMS intervention remarkably reduced the reaction times during post-error trials but not post-correct trials. While the 10 Hz rTMS group showed a more pronounced post-error slowing effect than the healthy participants during the pretest, the post-error slowing effect in the posttest of this sample was similar to that in the healthy participants. These results suggest that high-frequency rTMS over the left DLPFC is a useful protocol for the improvement of behavioral adjustment after error commission in long-term METH addicts.
Adjustment Disorders ; etiology ; therapy ; Adult ; Amphetamine-Related Disorders ; complications ; therapy ; Case-Control Studies ; Central Nervous System Stimulants ; adverse effects ; Choice Behavior ; physiology ; Functional Laterality ; Humans ; Male ; Methamphetamine ; adverse effects ; Middle Aged ; Prefrontal Cortex ; physiology ; Reaction Time ; physiology ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ; methods ; Young Adult

Addictive drug use or prescribed medicine abuse can cause psychosis. Some representative symptoms frequently elicited by patients with psychosis are hallucination, anhedonia, and disrupted executive functions. These psychoses are categorized into three classifications of symptoms: positive, negative, and cognitive. The symptoms of DIP are not different from the symptoms of schizophrenia, and it is difficult to distinguish between them. Due to this ambiguity of distinction between the DIP and schizophrenia, the DIP animal model has been frequently used as the schizophrenia animal model. However, although the symptoms may be the same, its causes are clearly different in that DIP is acquired and schizophrenia is heritable. Therefore, in this review, we cover several DIP models such as of amphetamine, PCP/ketamine, scopolamine, and LSD, and then we also address three schizophrenia models through a genetic approach with a new perspective that distinguishes DIP from schizophrenia.
Amphetamine ; Anhedonia ; Classification ; Executive Function ; Hallucinations ; Humans ; Lysergic Acid Diethylamide ; Models, Animal ; Psychotic Disorders* ; Schizophrenia ; Scopolamine Hydrobromide ; Substance-Related Disorders*

OBJECTIVETo analyze the prevalence rates and associated risk factors on HIV, syphilis, herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) among female sex workers (FSWs) in Jiaozhou, Shandong province.

METHODSThrough convenient sampling, an anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted on female sex workers to collect related information. Blood specimens were drawn for serological tests on HIV, syphilis and HSV-2 antibodies, respectively. Patients with positive results from both treponema pallidum and HSV-2 tested by ELISA method, were defined as being superinfected.

RESULTSA total of 460 FSWs were recruited in this study. The prevalence rates of HIV, syphilis, HSV-2, and syphilis/HSV-2 superinfection were 0.22% , 5.9% , 43.0% , and 11.7% , respectively. Among the methamphetamine users, the prevalence rates of syphilis, HSV-2, and syphilis/HSV-2 superinfection were 12.4%, 55.2%, and 22.9%, respectively. Results from multivariate analysis showed that factors that significantly associated with syphilis infection would include: methamphetamine use (OR = 3.61, 95% CI:1.62-8.06), having first commercial sex intercourse at under 20 years of age (OR = 2.80, 95% CI:1.15-6.85), more than 2 establishments that the FSWs worked in the last month (OR = 4.37, 95%CI:0.83-22.83). Factors associated with HSV-2 infection were methamphetamine use (OR = 2.30, 95%CI:1.43-3.70), having first commercial sex intercourse at under 20 years of age (OR = 1.77, 95% CI:1.16-2.69), working at low-end establishments (OR = 2.61, 95%CI:1.66-4.10), working at the local sex-work venues for more than one year (OR = 2.01, 95% CI:1.28-3.14), with low education backgrounds (OR = 2.27, 95% CI:1.18-4.36), using methamphetamine (OR = 3.95, 95% CI:2.09-7.44), low education background (OR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.10-5.36), 21-30 year-olds (OR = 2.95, 95%CI:1.08-8.03), older than 31 years of age (OR = 7.05, 95% CI:2.48-20.01) etc., were independent risk factors associated with the superinfection of syphilis and HSV-2.

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence rates of syphilis, HSV-2 and syphilis/HSV-2 superinfection were relatively high among FSWs in Jiaozhou, especially among the FSWs who were methamphetamine users.

Age Distribution ; Amphetamine-Related Disorders ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Educational Status ; Female ; HIV Infections ; epidemiology ; HIV Seropositivity ; Herpes Genitalis ; epidemiology ; Herpesvirus 2, Human ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Methamphetamine ; administration & dosage ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Serologic Tests ; Sex Work ; Sex Workers ; psychology ; statistics & numerical data ; Superinfection ; epidemiology ; Syphilis ; epidemiology ; Treponema pallidum ; isolation & purification

Methamphetamine (MA) is a representative drug of amphetamine-type stimulants for central nervous system and has become one of the most dangerous drugs in the world recently. The present article reviews the pharmacological effects, distribution, metabolism, intoxication mechanism, the effects of MA on cardiovascular and central nervous systems of MA, and the current situation of forensic investigation on MA.
Amphetamine-Related Disorders/pathology* ; Animals ; Central Nervous System/pathology* ; Central Nervous System Stimulants/poisoning* ; Forensic Toxicology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Methamphetamine/poisoning* ; Substance Abuse Detection/methods*

Amphetamine, a synthetic psychostimulant, is transported by the dopamine transporter (DAT) to the cytosol and increases the exchange of extracellular amphetamine by intracellular dopamine. Recently, we reported that the phosphorylation levels of ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) proteins are regulated by psychostimulant drugs in the nucleus accumbens, a brain area important for drug addiction. However, the significance of ERM proteins phosphorylation in response to drugs of abuse has not been fully investigated. In this study, using PC12 cells as an in vitro cell model, we showed that amphetamine increases ERM proteins phosphorylation and protein kinase C (PKC) beta inhibitor, but not extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K) inhibitors, abolished this effect. Further, we observed that DAT inhibitor suppressed amphetamine-induced ERM proteins phosphorylation in PC12 cells. These results suggest that PKCbeta-induced DAT regulation may be involved in amphetmaine-induced ERM proteins phosphorylation.
Amphetamine ; Animals ; Brain ; Cytosol ; Dopamine ; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins ; Nucleus Accumbens ; PC12 Cells ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein Kinase C ; Proteins ; Street Drugs ; Substance-Related Disorders

BACKGROUND: The recovery and outcome of intoxicated patients depends on the kind of drugs they took and the total time of their initial management. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of a Triage drug kit for detecting abused drugs. METHODS: From 2003 Feb. to 2003 July, we studied the patients who visited the emergency department with suspicious drug intoxication. In this case, we used a Triage drug kit for 134 patients with drug intoxication or who were clinically suspected of taking illegal drugs, with 30 of the patients initially admitting the substance they had used. The kit is an immunoassay kit for qualitative testing drug metabolites in urine. To compare with those cases of the preceding year, we studied 104 patients with drug intoxication that was detected between February 2002 and July 2002. RESULTS: Overall, 60% of the 30 cases who did not know what substance they abused and tested positive for, and 33% of the 27 cases with suspected intoxication confirmed their substance abuse. The positive rate for benzodiazepine use was the highest (46.7%), and there were no positive results regarding amphetamine, methamphetamine or cocaine. An appropriate antidote was administered significantly more frequently in the group for which we used the kit. CONCLUSIONS: A Triage drug kit is probably useful for diagnosing acute drug intoxication and for identifying the causative substance. However, the time required to decide whether or not a patient should be admitted is not reduced. If the kit can detect the frequently abused drugs in Korea, it will be helpful for treating drug intoxicated patients.
Amphetamine ; Benzodiazepines ; Cocaine ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Korea ; Methamphetamine ; Poisons ; Substance-Related Disorders ; Triage