The effect of disulfiram on the urotoxicity induced by ifosfamide was studied in mice. Ifosfamide administered intraperitoneally to mice caused a dose-related increase in bladder weight within 48 hr of treatment. Disulfiram prevented ifosfamide-induced bladder damage when administered orally within 1 hr of ifosfamide treatment. The results indicate that disulfiram is an effective protective age...

CONTEXT Disulfiram has emerged as a promising treatment for cocaine dependence, but it has not yet been evaluated in general populations of cocaine users. OBJECTIVES To compare the effectiveness of disulfiram therapy with that of a placebo condition in reducing cocaine use and to compare the effectiveness of 2 active behavioral therapies-cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and interpersonal psyc...

The overexpression of multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) and multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) gene products is a major cause of multidrug resistance in cancer cells. A recent study suggested that disulfiram, a drug used to treat alcoholism, might act as a modulator of P-glycoprotein. In this study, we investigated the molecular and chemical basis of disulfiram as a multidrug resistance ...

The anti-alcoholism medication, disulfiram (Antabuse), decreases cocaine use in humans regardless of concurrent alcohol consumption and facilitates cocaine sensitization in rats, but the functional targets are unknown. Disulfiram inhibits dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH), the enzyme that converts dopamine (DA) to norepinephrine (NE) in noradrenergic neurons. The goal of this study was to test the e...

The thiocarbamate alcoholism drug disulfiram blocks the P-glycoprotein extrusion pump, inhibits the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB, sensitizes tumors to chemotherapy, reduces angiogenesis, and inhibits tumor growth in mice. Thiocarbamates react with critical thiols and also complex metal ions. Using melanoma as the paradigm, we tested whether disulfiram might inhibit growth by formi...

When taken in an adequate dose, disulfiram usually deters the drinking of alcohol by the threat or experience of an unpleasant reaction. However, unless its consumption is carefully supervised by a third party as part of the formal or im-plied therapeutic contract, it is usually discontinued and the deterrent effect is therefore lost. In most studies, disulfiram administration has not been supe...

It is shown that in vitro glutathione provides little protection of cytoplasmic aldehyde dehydrogenase against the inactivatory action of disulfiram. This observation provides support for the current explanation of how disulfiram acts in vivo. The results show that the disulfiram-sensitive thiol groups of aldehyde dehydrogenase have an unusually high reactivity; possible mechanisms by which thi...

The interest in health benefits associated with consumption of anti-oxidants has led to investigations examining the possibility that diets rich in anti-oxidants promote lifespan extension. Studies using the standard fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) model of longevity have shown that the antioxidants vitamin E and N-acetyl cysteine prolong lifespan. Turmeric is a spice which has been consume...

Traditional disulfiram treatment has often been ineffective because of a failure to maintain usage. The present study with 43 alcoholics compared: (1) a traditional disulfiram treatment, (2) a socially motivated Disulfiram Assurance program and (3) a Disulfiram Assurance program combined with reinforcement therapy. About five sessions were given for each program. At the 6-month follow-up, the t...

Giardiasis, the infestation of the intestinal tract by Giardia lamblia, is one of the most prevalent parasitosis worldwide. Even though effective therapies exist for it, the problems associated with its use indicate that new therapeutic options are needed. It has been shown that disulfiram eradicates trophozoites in vitro and is effective in vivo in a murine model of giardiasis; disulfiram inac...