Abstract
There is significant experimental evidence implicating the endogenous opioid system (opioid peptides and opioid receptors) with the processes of reward and reinforcement. Indeed, many behaviors associated with reward and reinforcement, for example feeding behavior, are controlled by distinct components of the endogenous opioid system located in relevant brain regions. It has also been shown that regardless of their initial site of action many drugs of abuse, such as morphine, nicotine, cocaine, alcohol and amphetamines, induce an increase in the extracellular concentration of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. This, increased secretion of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens seems to be a common effect of many drugs of abuse, and it was proposed that may mediate their rewarding and reinforcing properties. Furthermore, activation of μ opioid receptors in the ventral tegmental area, or of μ and δ opioid receptors in the nucleus accumbens enhances the extracellular concentration of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. Thus, stimulation of the activity of distinct components of the endogenous opioid system either by opioid or by other drugs of abuse, may mediate some of their reinforcing effects. In this review article, a brief description of the endogenous opioid system and its implication in the processes of reward and reinforcement of opioid and other drugs of abuse will be presented. Furthermore, the use of opioid antagonists in the treatment of drug addiction will be discussed. Special emphasis will be given to ethanol addiction, the drug mainly studied in my laboratory.
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry
Title: Endogenous Opioids and Addiction to Alcohol and other Drugs of Abuse
Volume: 9 Issue: 11
Author(s): Christina Gianoulakis
Affiliation:
Abstract: There is significant experimental evidence implicating the endogenous opioid system (opioid peptides and opioid receptors) with the processes of reward and reinforcement. Indeed, many behaviors associated with reward and reinforcement, for example feeding behavior, are controlled by distinct components of the endogenous opioid system located in relevant brain regions. It has also been shown that regardless of their initial site of action many drugs of abuse, such as morphine, nicotine, cocaine, alcohol and amphetamines, induce an increase in the extracellular concentration of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. This, increased secretion of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens seems to be a common effect of many drugs of abuse, and it was proposed that may mediate their rewarding and reinforcing properties. Furthermore, activation of μ opioid receptors in the ventral tegmental area, or of μ and δ opioid receptors in the nucleus accumbens enhances the extracellular concentration of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. Thus, stimulation of the activity of distinct components of the endogenous opioid system either by opioid or by other drugs of abuse, may mediate some of their reinforcing effects. In this review article, a brief description of the endogenous opioid system and its implication in the processes of reward and reinforcement of opioid and other drugs of abuse will be presented. Furthermore, the use of opioid antagonists in the treatment of drug addiction will be discussed. Special emphasis will be given to ethanol addiction, the drug mainly studied in my laboratory.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Gianoulakis Christina, Endogenous Opioids and Addiction to Alcohol and other Drugs of Abuse, Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry 2009; 9 (11) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156802609789630956
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156802609789630956 |
Print ISSN 1568-0266 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4294 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Chemistry Based on Natural Products for Therapeutic Purposes
The development of new pharmaceuticals for a wide range of medical conditions has long relied on the identification of promising natural products (NPs). There are over sixty percent of cancer, infectious illness, and CNS disease medications that include an NP pharmacophore, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Since NP ...read more
Current Trends in Drug Discovery Based on Artificial Intelligence and Computer-Aided Drug Design
Drug development discovery has faced several challenges over the years. In fact, the evolution of classical approaches to modern methods using computational methods, or Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD), has shown promising and essential results in any drug discovery campaign. Among these methods, molecular docking is one of the most notable ...read more
Drug Discovery in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), we have witnessed a significant boom in AI techniques for drug discovery. AI techniques are increasingly integrated and accelerating the drug discovery process. These developments have not only attracted the attention of academia and industry but also raised important questions regarding the selection ...read more
From Biodiversity to Chemical Diversity: Focus of Flavonoids
Flavonoids are the largest group of polyphenols, plant secondary metabolites arising from the essential aromatic amino acid phenylalanine (or more rarely from tyrosine) via the phenylpropanoid pathway. The flavan nucleus is the basic 15-carbon skeleton of flavonoids (C6-C3-C6), which consists of two phenyl rings (A and B) and a heterocyclic ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Patent Annotations
Recent Patents on CNS Drug Discovery (Discontinued) Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD): Review and Update for Clinical Neurologists
Current Alzheimer Research Transglutaminase-Catalyzed Crosslinking in Neurological Disease: From Experimental Evidence to Therapeutic Inhibition
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets NK-1 Receptor Antagonists: A New Paradigm in Pharmacological Therapy
Current Medicinal Chemistry Mild Parkinsonian Signs in a Hospital-based Cohort of Mild Cognitive Impairment Types: A Cross-sectional Study
Current Alzheimer Research Reward-Seeking Behavior and Addiction: Cause or Cog?
Current Drug Abuse Reviews Perivascular Adipose Tissue, Inflammation and Vascular Dysfunction in Obesity
Current Vascular Pharmacology Exploring Molecular Approaches in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Drug Targets from Clinical and Pre-Clinical Findings
Current Molecular Pharmacology Mechanisms of Action of Anesthetics for the Modulation of Perioperative Thrombosis: Evidence for Immune Mechanisms from Basic and Clinical Studies
Current Pharmaceutical Design The Perfect Storm: The High Prevalence Low Severity Outcomes of the Preterm Survivors
Current Pediatric Reviews Hepatitis C Treatment in Patients with Drug Addiction: Clinical Management of Interferon-Alpha-Associated Psychiatric Side Effects
Current Drug Abuse Reviews Towards a “Metabolic” Subtype of Major Depressive Disorder: Shared Pathophysiological Mechanisms May Contribute to Cognitive Dysfunction
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Tauopathies – Focus on Changes at the Neurovascular Unit
Current Alzheimer Research Cerebral White Matter Injuries Following a Hypoxic/Ischemic Insult During the Perinatal Period: Pathophysiology, Prognostic Factors, and Future Strategy of Treatment Approach. A Minireview
Current Pharmaceutical Design Multiple Mechanisms of Cytokine Action in Neurodegenerative and Psychiatric States: Neurochemical and Molecular Substrates
Current Pharmaceutical Design Basal Ganglia Enlarged Perivascular Spaces are Linked to Cognitive Function in Patients with Cerebral Small Vessel Disease
Current Neurovascular Research Recent Advances in Liver X Receptor Biology and Chemistry
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Cannabinoid Function in Spatial Learning: An Update
Current Neuropharmacology Cannabinoid System in Neurodegeneration: New Perspectives in Alzheimers Disease
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Neurochemistry Changes Associated with Mutations in Familial Parkinsons Disease
Current Medicinal Chemistry