Twenty-two urine specimens reported by military drug-testing laboratories for the presence of high concentrations of amphetamine only were subject to further analysis for the presence of methamphetamine. The 22 urine specimens had concentrations of amphetamine in the range of 28,028 to 241,142 ng/mL. The specimens were also assayed for the respective isomeric ratio of d (S) and l (R) amphetamin...

Animal data indicate that methamphetamine can damage striatal dopamine terminals. Efforts to document dopamine neuron damage in living brain of methamphetamine users have focused on the binding of [(11)C]dihydrotetrabenazine (DTBZ), a vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand, as a stable dopamine neuron biomarker. Previous PET data report a slight d...

AIMS There are no studies directly comparing self-administration of methamphetamine and d-amphetamine by humans. This study compared intranasal methamphetamine- and d-amphetamine self-administration and characterized the mood, performance and physiological effects produced by the drugs. DESIGN A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. SETTING An out-patient research ...

BACKGROUND Addictive drugs lead to reinforcing properties by increasing dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, which is composed of a core and shell regions. Neurons in the nucleus accumbens are divided into 2 subtypes based on the differential gene expression of the dopamine D₁ receptors and D₂ receptors. METHODS In the present study, we investigated the role of D₂ receptors in the nucleus accum...

The involvement of D-1 and D-2 dopamine (DA) receptors in mediating the DA regulation of preprotachykinin (PPT) gene expression was investigated in rat striatal tissue. Initial experiments determined that acute treatment with the indirect DA agonist methamphetamine induces increases in total PPT messenger RNA, with a maximal effect seen within 3 hr. RNA protection studies established that acute...

Two murine-derived anti-methamphetamine monoclonal antibodies were studied as potential pharmacokinetic antagonists of (+)-methamphetamine self-administration by rats. Intravenous administration of a 1 g/kg dose of the lower affinity [antibody equilibrium dissociation constant (K(d)) = 250 nM] monoclonal antibody (mAb) designated mAb6H8, 1 day before the start of several daily 2-h self-administ...

We have explored the role of endogenous dopamine in the control of histaminergic neuron activity in mouse brain regions evaluated by changes in tele-methylhistamine (t-MeHA) levels. In vitro, methamphetamine released [(3)H]noradrenaline but failed to release [(3)H]histamine from synaptosomes. In vivo, methamphetamine enhanced t-MeHA levels by about 2-fold with ED(50) values of approximately 1 m...

Compulsive drug-seeking and drug-taking are important substance-abuse behaviors that have been linked to alterations in dopaminergic neurotransmission and to impaired inhibitory control. Evidence supports the notions that abnormal D₂ receptor-mediated dopamine transmission and inhibitory control may be heritable risk factors for addictions, and that they also reflect drug-induced neuroadaptatio...

Cross-reactivity with Diagnostic Products Corporation (DPC) amphetamine and methamphetamine radioimmunoassay (RIA) reagents was determined for amphetamine, methamphetamine, and a number of amphetamine analogs. Concentrations from 100 to 100,000 ng/mL were assayed. 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) showed significant cross-reactivity for the ampheta...

Aim: To validate the street terminology used to describe the various forms of methamphetamine used in Australia, namely ‘speed’ (powder methamphetamine), ‘base’ (a damp or oily product) and ‘crystal meth’ or ‘ice’ (crystalline methamphetamine). Materials and Methodology: Regular methamphetamine users (N = 309) were asked which form of methamphetamine they took on their last use occasion, and th...