“
“Conventional

substance-abuse treatments have only had limited success especially for drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine and nicotine. Newer data have begun to shed light on the complexity of the addictive process and new treatment approaches, including interference with brain neurosteroids, to attenuate drug-seeking behavior, are in advanced stages of development. Neurosteroids are synthesized in the brain and peripheral tissues, from cholesterol or steroidal this website precursors imported from peripheral sources. The most abundant neurosteroids in the human body are DHEA and its sulfate ester, DHEAS. These neurosteroids can act as modulators of neurotransmitter receptors, such as gamma-aminobutyric-acid-type A (GABA(A)), NMDA, and sigma-1 receptors which may contribute to apparent enduring behavioral Cediranib cell line manifestations facilitated by substances of abuse. Neurosteroid concentrations respond to environmental and behavioral circumstances, such as stress and mood, both which are involved in the progression of substance use that advance substance addiction.

This article reviews the current literature pertaining to neurosteroids and substances of abuse, focusing on DHEA, and discusses its role in drug-seeking behavior as suggested by preclinical observations. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“This review summarizes findings from human and animal research investigating the influence

of progesterone and its metabolites Magnesium chelatase allopreganolone and pregnanolone (progestins) on the effects of cocaine and other drugs of abuse. Since a majority of these studies have used cocaine, this will be the primary focus; however, the influence of progestins on other drugs of abuse will also be discussed. Collectively, findings from these studies support a role for progestins in (1) attenuating the subjective and physiological effects of cocaine in humans, (2) blocking the reinforcing and other behavioral effects of cocaine in animal models of drug abuse, and (3) influencing behavioral responses to other

drugs of abuse such as alcohol and nicotine in animals. Administration of several drugs of abuse in both human and nonhuman animals significantly increased progestin levels, and this is explained in terms of progestins acting as homeostatic regulators that decrease and normalize heightened stress and reward responses which lead to increased drug craving and relapse. The findings discussed here highlight the complexity of progestin-drug interactions, and they suggest a possible use for these agents in understanding the etiology of and developing treatments for drug abuse. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Rapid expansion of the standardised approach to tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment that is recommended by WHO allowed more than 36 million people to be cured between 1995 and 2008, averting up to 6 million deaths. Yet tuberculosis remains a severe global public health threat.