School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, Hsin-Chuang City, Taipei County, Taiwan.
Curr Neuropharmacol. 2011 Mar;9(1):215-8. doi: 10.2174/157015911795016949.
Methamphetamine is a potent addictive stimulant drug that activates certain systems in the brain. It is a member of the amphetamine family, but the effects of methamphetamine are much more potent, longer lasting, and more harmful to the central nervous system. Repeated administration of methamphetamine induces behavioral sensitization, which is considered to be related to compulsive drug-seeking behavior. Although the mechanism responsible for methamphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization remains unclear, it is believed that the mesolimbic dopaminergic system in the central nervous system plays a critical role in the development of behavioral sensitization. Our previous studies indicate that the involvement of the μ-opioid receptor system underlies the development of methamphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization. Understanding the mechanisms of behavioral sensitization that are regulated by the μ-opioid receptor system would be helpful in developing therapeutic programs against methamphetamine addiction. This review briefly discusses the neural circuitry and cellular mechanisms that are known to play a central role in methamphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization and outlines the role of the μ-opioid receptor system in the development of methamphetamine-induced sensitization.
甲基苯丙胺是一种有效的成瘾性兴奋剂药物，它可以激活大脑中的某些系统。它是苯丙胺类药物的一种，但甲基苯丙胺的作用要强得多，持续时间也更长，对中枢神经系统的危害也更大。反复给予甲基苯丙胺会引起行为敏化，这被认为与强迫性觅药行为有关。尽管导致甲基苯丙胺引起的行为敏化的机制尚不清楚，但人们认为中枢神经系统中的中脑边缘多巴胺能系统在行为敏化的发展中起着关键作用。我们之前的研究表明，μ-阿片受体系统的参与是甲基苯丙胺引起的行为敏化的基础。了解受μ-阿片受体系统调节的行为敏化机制有助于开发针对甲基苯丙胺成瘾的治疗方案。本文简要讨论了已知在甲基苯丙胺引起的行为敏化中起核心作用的神经回路和细胞机制，并概述了μ-阿片受体系统在甲基苯丙胺引起的敏化发展中的作用。
