Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-x5cpj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-25T20:13:09.536Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

N-Acetylcysteine and addiction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 September 2013

Get access

In a nutshell

The rationale for using N-Acetylcysteine to treat addiction is because it influences glutamate handling in the brain, and an excess of this excitatory neurotransmitter is known to be associated with various forms of addiction.

Animal and particularly human clinical trial data is insufficient to allow any definitive conclusion, but this is an interesting treatment possibility.

Type
Brief Report
Information
Arbor Clinical Nutrition Updates , Volume 306 , April 2009 , pp. 1 - 2
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Guo, Y. et al. The role of glutamate and its receptors in mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic regions in opioid addiction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2009 Jun;33(6):864–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Lambe, EK. et al. Perspective: Translational studies on glutamate and dopamine neurocircuitry in addictions: implications for addiction treatment. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2009 Jan;34(2):255–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3. Uys, JD. et al. Glutamate: the new frontier in pharmacotherapy for cocaine addiction. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2008 Nov;7(5):482–91.Google Scholar
4. Gass, JT. et al. Glutamatergic substrates of drug addiction and alcoholism. Biochem Pharmacol. 2008 Jan 1;75(1):218–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5. Moreira, FA. et al. The endocannabinoid system: emotion, learning and addiction. Addict Biol. 2008 Jun;13(2):196–212.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Wise, RA. et al. Cocaine serves as a peripheral interoceptive conditioned stimulus for central glutamate and dopamine release. PLoS ONE. 2008 Aug 6;3(8):e2846.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7. LaLumiere, RT. et al. Glutamate release in the nucleus accumbens core is necessary for heroin seeking. J Neurosci. 2008 Mar 19;28(12):3170–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8. Schumann, G. et al. Systematic analysis of glutamatergic neurotransmission genes in alcohol dependence and adolescent risky drinking behavior. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008 Jul;65(7):826–38.Google Scholar
9. Hurd, YL. Perspectives on current directions in the neurobiology of addiction disorders relevant to genetic risk factors. CNS Spectr. 2006 Nov;11(11):855–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10. Karila, L. et al. New treatments for cocaine dependence: a focused review. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2008 May;11(3):425–38.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11. Moran, MM. et al. Cystine/glutamate exchange regulates metabotropic glutamate receptor presynaptic inhibition of excitatory transmission and vulnerability to cocaine seeking. J Neurosci. 2005 Jul 6;25(27):6389–93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12. Moran, MM. et al. Cystine/glutamate exchange regulates metabotropic glutamate receptor presynaptic inhibition of excitatory transmission and vulnerability to cocaine seeking. J Neurosci. 2005 Jul 6;25(27):6389–93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13. Baker, DA. et al. Neuroadaptations in cystine-glutamate exchange underlie cocaine relapse. Nat Neurosci. 2003 Jul;6(7):743–9.Google Scholar
14. Thomas, MJ. et al. Neuroplasticity in the mesolimbic dopamine system and cocaine addiction. Br J Pharmacol. 2008 May;154(2):327–42.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15. Kalivas, PW. et al. Drug addiction as a pathology of staged neuroplasticity. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2008 Jan;33(1):166–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16. Pulvirenti, L. et al. Drug dependence as a disorder of neural plasticity: focus on dopamine and glutamate. Rev Neurosci. 2001;12(2):141–58.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17. Zhou, W. et al. N-acetylcysteine reduces extinction responding and induces enduring reductions in cue- and heroin-induced drug-seeking. Biol Psychiatry. 2008 Feb 1;63(3):338–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18. Baker, DA. et al. Neuroadaptations in cystine-glutamate exchange underlie cocaine relapse. Nat Neurosci. 2003 Jul;6(7):743–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19. LaRowe, SD. et al. Safety and tolerability of N-acetylcysteine in cocaine-dependent individuals. Am J Addict. 2006 Jan-Feb;15(1):105–10.Google Scholar
20. Mant, TG. et al. Adverse reactions to acetylcysteine and effects of overdose. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1984 Jul 28;289(6439):217–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21. Schmidt, LE. et al. Risk factors in the development of adverse reactions to N-acetylcysteine in patients with paracetamol poisoning. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2001 Jan;51(1):87–91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed