The opioid epidemic has been going on for the last few decades in America. Opioids can be prescribed medication to relieve pain, known as OxyContin, Vicodin, or fentanyl. Opioids are also considered as a street drug known as heroin. These drugs have known to give a euphoric feeling that causes addiction. Current treatment options for opioid addiction are with different medications that suppress drug cravings. These drugs are known as methadone, buprenophrine, and naltrexone. Methadone is known to relieve withdrawal and help with cravings but can create and addiction to the treatment. Bueprenorphine is known to suppress cravings and not have addictive effects like methadone. Naltrexone requires patients to have no opioids in their system, and it does not activate the opioid receptor like the other treatment options. These treatment options make it very difficult for those recovering because they either get addicted to the treatment or they have to quit opioids completely.
Current research done by UCLA looked at hypocretin-producing neurons in mice. This research was inspired by a narcolepsy study back in 2000. In the narcolepsy study, researchers at UCLA found that those with narcolepsy have much fewer cells that contain hypocretin; hypocretin is a chemical messenger that is important in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness. Treatment for narcolepsy is done with a drug that is highly addictive. Narcolepsy patients did not experience withdrawal from these drugs. This new research looks at the relationship between levels of hypocretin and drug cravings.
The current research found that there are a high number of hypocretin-producing neurons in mice that have been given heroin. Hight levels of hypocretin are found in the locus coerulues(known to have a role in regulating opioid withdrawal symptoms). These high levels are seen to produce tyrosine hydroxylase in the locus coeruleus. Tyrosine hydroxylase is in charge or creating the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. This neurotransmitter is known to be involved in behaviors such as arousal, wakefulness, attention, and the fight or flight response.
Once mice are not given opioids, the researchers found that there is an increase in activity in the locus coeruleus. This causes norepinephrine to be released and it contributes to opioid withdrawal symptoms. This made the researchers conclude that hypocretin is involved in the physical and emotional response of opioid withdrawal. These results also explain why narcolepsy patients did not have withdrawal symptoms from their medication. With these findings, researchers can help find a new treatment plan for opioid addition.
References
Opioids: What you should know. Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2021, November 1). Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/opioids/index.html
University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences. (2022, January 12). Removing brain cells linked to wakefulness and addiction may lessen symptoms of opioid withdrawal. ScienceDaily.
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