The aim of the present study has been to characterize the regulation by opiates of “Ca2+ influx in rat spinal cord-dorsal root ganglion cocultures. We have demonstrated that K*-induced depolarization, in the presence of the Ca” channel agonist Bay K8644, stimulated Ca” influx (3-4-fold) via the dihydropyridine class of voltage-dependent Ca” channels. While p and 6 opiates had no effect, K opiat...

LC/MS/MS is a very selective and sensitive analytical technique for detection and quantification of analytes in complex matrices. As a result, the use of LC/MS/MS in forensic toxicological applications has been significantly increasing over the past decade. The use of oral fluid as an alternative biological matrix for drug testing has also increased. However, the sample volume is usually much s...

Using the newly revised DSM-III-R criteria for substance-abuse diagnoses, we examined dependence syndrome elements among 83 psychiatric patients. The sample included 14 with no history of substance abuse. The remainder abused alcohol (52), sedatives (31), hallucinogens (12), stimulants (33), cannabis (44), cocaine (52), or opiates (47). Many patients (52) had abused more than one type of drug. ...

Human infants may be exposed to opiates through placental transfer from an opiate-using mother or through the direct administration of such drugs to relieve pain (e.g., due to illness or neonatal surgery). Infants of many species show physical dependence and tolerance to opiates. The magnitude of tolerance and the nature of withdrawal differ from those of the adult. Moreover, the mechanisms tha...

AIM To study the mechanism underlying the difference in physical dependence potential of morphine (Mor), methadone (Met), buprenorphine (Bup), etorphine (Eto), and dihydroetorphine (DHE). METHODS Adenylate cyclase of NG108-15 cells were used for studying the effects of different opiates on cAMP second messenger system. RESULTS Bup, DHE, and Eto were distinct from Mor in naloxone-precipitate...

INTRODUCTION Nowadays women constitute one third of all addicts. In the last decade, there has been a remarkable growth in scientific interest in biochemical and psychosocial aspects of women's addiction. Many researches point out the specific character of women's addiction. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to assess and compare psychosocial aspects, including the sociodemographic character...

A retrospective analysis of data from oral fluid specimens was conducted in order to identify a relevant cutoff concentration for opiates and/or synthetic opiates in oral fluid. Previously proposed regulations from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) have recommended 40 μg/L as a cutoff concentration. In this study, data from oral fluid specimens collected usi...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Pre-clinical and clinical trials of peripheral opiate antagonists have shed new light on the effects of exogenous and endogenous opioids. CONTENTS This article review preclinical studies and clinical opioid bowel disfunction trials. CONCLUSIONS If approved these drugs may offer potential solutions to important clinical problems in pain management.

This paper describes the techniques for controlling pain by the physical means that are most widely used clinically, particularly in the case of fibromyalgia. They are grouped on the basis of the physical energy used: mechanical, thermal (including magnetic and electromagnetic), and light (LASER). The main underlying neurophysiological mechanisms are gate activation, the stimulation of descendi...

TOPIC PAGE NUMBER 1. Antibiotic Therapy: Principles and Empiric Therapy ...................................................... 1-8 2. Antibiotic Therapy: Strategies for Resistant Infections ................................................. 9-20 3. Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs ..................................................................... 21-30 4. Analgesic Drugs: Opiates and Mis...