Study findings could prove useful in the treatment of smokers by providing encouragement NCT-501 in vivo with the knowledge that decreased smoking leads to normalization of specific brain receptors.”
“Recent evidence suggests that purinergic system dysfunction may play a role in the pathophysiology and therapeutics of bipolar disorder (BPD). Uric acid is a key nitrogenous end product of purine metabolism. In addition to being a potential marker of treatment response, high levels of uric acid may represent a state marker during mania. In this study, we assessed the presence of purinergic dysfunction in 20 treatment-naive first episode patients

with BPD who were experiencing a manic episode. Patients were matched with 24 healthy controls. We found that acutely manic patients had significantly higher levels of plasma uric acid (4.85 +/- 1.60 mg/dL) compared to healthy controls (2.96 +/- 0.63 mg/dL, p<0.001; F=28.1). No association between uric acid levels with severity of manic symptoms was observed. These results support the role of purinergic system dysfunction in BPD early in the course of illness, and suggest that this phenomenon is not the result of chronicity or medication exposure. Overall, selleck kinase inhibitor our findings suggest a novel mechanism in the pathophysiology of BPD. Published by Elsevier Inc.”
“Few individuals seeking treatment for marijuana use

achieve sustained abstinence. The cannabinoid receptor agonist, Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; Histone Methyltransferase inhibitor dronabinol), decreases marijuana withdrawal symptoms, yet does not decrease marijuana use in the laboratory or clinic. Dronabinol has poor bioavailability, which may contribute to its poor efficacy. The FDA-approved synthetic analog of THC, nabilone, has higher bioavailability and clearer dose-linearity than dronabinol. This study tested whether nabilone administration would decrease marijuana withdrawal symptoms and a laboratory measure of marijuana relapse relative to placebo. Daily, nontreatment-seeking marijuana smokers (8 men and 3 women), who reported

smoking 8.3 +/- 3.1 marijuana cigarettes/day completed this within-subject study comprising three, 8-day inpatient phases; each phase tested a different nabilone dose (0, 6, 8 mg/day, administered in counterbalanced order on days 2-8). On the first inpatient day, participants took placebo capsules and smoked active marijuana (5.6% THC) at six timepoints. For the next 3 days, they had the opportunity to self-administer placebo marijuana (0.0% THC; withdrawal), followed by 4 days in which active marijuana was available for self-administration (5.6% THC; relapse). Both nabilone dose conditions decreased marijuana relapse and reversed withdrawal-related irritability and disruptions in sleep and food intake (p<0.05). Nabilone (8 mg/day) modestly worsened psychomotor task performance.