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Deng L, Wu L, Gao R, Xu X, Chen C, Liu J. Non-Opioid Anesthetics Addiction: A Review of Current Situation and Mechanism. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1259. [PMID: 37759860 PMCID: PMC10526861 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13091259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is one of the major worldwide health problems, which will have serious adverse consequences on human health and significantly burden the social economy and public health. Drug abuse is more common in anesthesiologists than in the general population because of their easier access to controlled substances. Although opioids have been generally considered the most commonly abused drugs among anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists, the abuse of non-opioid anesthetics has been increasingly severe in recent years. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the clinical situation and potential molecular mechanisms of non-opioid anesthetics addiction. This review incorporates the clinical and biomolecular evidence supporting the abuse potential of non-opioid anesthetics and the foreseeable mechanism causing the non-opioid anesthetics addiction phenotypes, promoting a better understanding of its pathogenesis and helping to find effective preventive and curative strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyun Deng
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; (L.D.); (L.W.); (R.G.); (X.X.); (J.L.)
- The Research Units of West China (2018RU012)-Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Lining Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; (L.D.); (L.W.); (R.G.); (X.X.); (J.L.)
- The Research Units of West China (2018RU012)-Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Rui Gao
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; (L.D.); (L.W.); (R.G.); (X.X.); (J.L.)
- The Research Units of West China (2018RU012)-Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xiaolin Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; (L.D.); (L.W.); (R.G.); (X.X.); (J.L.)
- The Research Units of West China (2018RU012)-Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Chan Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; (L.D.); (L.W.); (R.G.); (X.X.); (J.L.)
- The Research Units of West China (2018RU012)-Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jin Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; (L.D.); (L.W.); (R.G.); (X.X.); (J.L.)
- The Research Units of West China (2018RU012)-Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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Bosch OG, Dornbierer DA, Bavato F, Quednow BB, Landolt HP, Seifritz E. Dexmedetomidine in Psychiatry: Repurposing of its Fast-Acting Anxiolytic, Analgesic and Sleep Modulating Properties. PHARMACOPSYCHIATRY 2023; 56:44-50. [PMID: 36384232 DOI: 10.1055/a-1970-3453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Drug repurposing is a strategy to identify new indications for already approved drugs. A recent successful example in psychiatry is ketamine, an anesthetic drug developed in the 1960s, now approved and clinically used as a fast-acting antidepressant. Here, we describe the potential of dexmedetomidine as a psychopharmacological repurposing candidate. This α2-adrenoceptor agonist is approved in the US and Europe for procedural sedation in intensive care. It has shown fast-acting inhibitory effects on perioperative stress-related pathologies, including psychomotor agitation, hyperalgesia, and neuroinflammatory overdrive, proving potentially useful in clinical psychiatry. We offer an overview of the pharmacological profile and effects of dexmedetomidine with potential utility for the treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Dexmedetomidine exerts fast-acting and robust sedation, anxiolytic, analgesic, sleep-modulating, and anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, the drug prevents postoperative agitation and delirium, possibly via neuroprotective mechanisms. While evidence in animals and humans supports these properties, larger controlled trials in clinical samples are generally scarce, and systematic studies with psychiatric patients do not exist. In conclusion, dexmedetomidine is a promising candidate for an experimental treatment targeting stress-related pathologies common in neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder. First small proof-of-concept studies and then larger controlled clinical trials are warranted in psychiatric populations to test the feasibility and efficacy of dexmedetomidine in these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver G Bosch
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dario A Dornbierer
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse, Zürich
| | - Francesco Bavato
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Boris B Quednow
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Peter Landolt
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse, Zürich
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland
- Sleep & Health Zurich, University Center of Competence, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Erich Seifritz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland
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