Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Regenerative Medicine and StemCells Program, Australian Institute of Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Maturitas. 2019 Mar;121:13-21. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2018.12.003. Epub 2018 Dec 5.
The recreational use of methamphetamine (METH, or ice) is a global burden. It pervades and plagues contemporary society; it has been estimated that there are up to 35 million users worldwide. METH is a highly addictive psychotropic compound which acts on the central nervous system, and chronic use can induce psychotic behavior. METH has the capacity to modulate immune cells, giving the drug long-term effects which may manifest as neuropsychiatric disorders, and that increase susceptibility to communicable diseases, such as HIV. In addition, changes to the cytokine balance have been associated with compromise of the blood-brain barrier, resulting to alterations to brain plasticity, creating lasting neurotoxicity. Immune-related signaling pathways are key to further evaluating how METH impacts host immunity through these neurological and peripheral modifications. Combining this knowledge with current data on inflammatory responses will improve understanding of how the adaptive and innate immunity responds to METH, how this can activate premature-ageing processes and how METH exacerbates disturbances that lead to non-communicable age-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, depression and dementia.
冰毒（METH，或冰）的娱乐性使用是全球的负担。它充斥并困扰着当代社会；据估计，全世界有多达 3500 万人使用冰毒。冰毒是一种作用于中枢神经系统的高度成瘾性精神药物，长期使用会导致精神病行为。冰毒能够调节免疫细胞，使药物产生长期影响，可能表现为神经精神障碍，并增加对传染病（如 HIV）的易感性。此外，细胞因子平衡的改变与血脑屏障的破坏有关，导致大脑可塑性的改变，从而产生持久的神经毒性。免疫相关信号通路是进一步评估 METH 通过这些神经和外周改变如何影响宿主免疫的关键。将这方面的知识与炎症反应的现有数据相结合，将有助于了解适应性和先天免疫如何对 METH 做出反应，这如何激活过早衰老过程，以及 METH 如何加剧导致非传染性与年龄相关疾病（包括心血管疾病、中风、抑郁和痴呆）的紊乱。
