Terenius L
Institutionen för experimentell alkohol- och narkotikaforskning, Karolinska sjukhuset, Stockholm.
Lakartidningen. 1991 Jul 24;88(30-31):2526-30.
Molecular biology has a strong impact on current research into drug and alcohol dependence. Spectacular recent results include the cloning of a cannabinoid receptor, nicotine receptors in the CNS and the targets of amphetamine and cocaine action, catecholamine transporters. Alcohol has been found to interact with the GABAA and NMDA (glutamate) receptors at concentrations reached with social alcohol use. The interactions of opiates and other drugs of abuse with the endogenous opioid peptides have been studied at several levels; it is a general finding that precursor gene transcription is suppressed. Although much less is known about the molecular consequences of chronic addictive drug usage, a functional deficit in opioid systems has been described. A general addiction mechanism may have similarities with memory storage mechanisms which are currently being studied with molecular probes.
分子生物学对当前药物和酒精依赖的研究产生了重大影响。近期取得的显著成果包括克隆出一种大麻素受体、中枢神经系统中的尼古丁受体以及安非他命和可卡因作用的靶点——儿茶酚胺转运体。研究发现，在社交饮酒所达到的浓度下，酒精会与γ-氨基丁酸A型（GABAA）和N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸（NMDA，谷氨酸）受体相互作用。人们已在多个层面研究了阿片类药物及其他滥用药物与内源性阿片肽的相互作用；普遍的研究结果是前体基因转录受到抑制。尽管对于长期使用成瘾性药物的分子后果了解较少，但已有人描述了阿片系统中的功能缺陷。一种普遍的成瘾机制可能与目前正在用分子探针研究的记忆存储机制存在相似之处。
