The Benzydamine Experience: A Systematic Review of Benzydamine Abuse

Use of psychoactive substances among university students from 2019 to 2020: A systematic review

Psychoactive substances act on the central nervous system producing changes in mental processes, such as perception, consciousness, cognition or mood and emotions. The present study aims to identify: (i) the most used psychoactive substances, (ii) how psychoactive substances are acquired, (iii) and possible reasons for the use of psychoactive substances amongst university students. A literature search was carried out without language restrictions and included articles published between 2019 and 2020 in journals indexed in the electronic databases of Pubmed and Scielo. The inclusion criteria considered were: (i) original articles, (ii) studies carried out with university students, (iii) providing data on the use of psychoactive substances. 15 studies were included in this review, of which: 4 studies addressed possible reasons that lead to use of psychoactive substances, 10 studies reported usage profile and demographic data, and 1 study addressed how students acquire psychoactive substances. Reasons that led to the consumption of psychoactive substances include: feelings of loneliness after moving away from family; difficulty making new friends; poor academic performance and susceptible environment to acquisition of these substances. In the selected studies, alcohol was identified as the main drug used. In light of the findings reported in this review, new prevention and harm reduction measures can be formulated, based mainly on the reasons that lead to the use of psychoactive drugs, consumption patterns and how the drugs were acquired by university students.

A Qualitative Analysis of First-Hand Accounts of Diphenhydramine Misuse Available on YouTube

Deliriants are the least studied class of hallucinogens and display noticeable subjective effects, including dysphoria, hallucinations, and substantial alterations in thought. High doses of diphenhydramine (DPH), an over-the-counter antihistamine medication, can produce deliriant effects due to secondary anticholinergic activity. We sought to characterize the subjective experiences produced by DPH misuse to better understand deliriants more broadly and the context under which DPH misuse occurs. To conduct our analysis, 32 first-hand accounts of DPH misuse publicly available in YouTube videos were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Video makers discussed alterations in most sensory modalities, confusion, and a tendency for strongly unpleasant experiences. Occasionally, video makers reported positive effects, although these were rare and often overshadowed by negative aspects of the experience. Video makers frequently warned against misusing DPH, and these individuals occasionally reported adverse post-acute effects. Despite the prevalence of adverse experiences, patterns of repeated misuse were sometimes discussed. Motives for misusing DPH, when mentioned, included accessibility, affordability, and legality. Overall, findings suggest DPH misuse can produce substantial psychoactive effects that are often distressing and share some phenomenological overlap with experiences produced by psychosis.

Benzydamine-An Affordable Over-the-Counter Drug with Psychoactive Properties-From Chemical Structure to Possible Pharmacological Properties

Benzydamine is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with distinct pharmacological properties from other compounds in the same therapeutic class. The differences are structural and pharmacological in nature; the anti-inflammatory mechanism is not strictly explained by the ability to interfere with the synthesis of prostaglandins. The compound is used strictly in local inflammatory diseases (inflammation in the oral and vaginal mucosa). In addition to the therapeutic indications found in the summary of product characteristics (SPC), the compound is used, in high doses, as a psychotropic substance for oral administration, having similar properties to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). As an over-the-counter (OTC) compound, it is easy to obtain, and the consequences of using it for purposes other than those assumed by the manufacturer raise various concerns. The reasons are related to the pharmacodynamic and pharmaco-toxicological properties, since neither the mechanism of action nor the possible side effects that would result from systemic consumption, in high doses, even occasionally, have been fully elucidated. The present review aims to analyze the pharmacodynamic properties of benzydamine, starting from the chemical structure, by comparison with structurally similar compounds registered in therapy (as an anti-inflammatory or analgesic) or used for recreational purposes.

Knowledge and Use of Over-the-counter Drugs in Italy: An Exploratory Survey-based Study in the General Population

BACKGROUND

During the past decade, the misuse of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines has become a global public health concern, especially among young people. In this study, we aimed to explore the OTC consumption and related misuse in Italy and identify the demographic characteristics of people/individuals involved in this phenomenon, understanding eventual risk factors.

METHODS

The study consisted of an anonymous online survey distributed by direct contact and via the Internet between June-November 2021 to the general population living in Italy. Descriptive statistics were reported, and binary regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for lifetime misuse of OTC. The University of Hertfordshire approved the study (aLMS/SF/UH/02951).

RESULTS

The final sample size was composed of 717 respondents. The sample was mainly represented by female (69.3%) students (39.9%) in the 20-25 years age group (30.0%). Based on the survey responses, study participants were divided into two groups according to the presence/absence of OTC abuse/misuse (127 versus 590), which were compared for possible predictors of OTC diversion. Multivariate regression showed that OTC abuse/misuse was associated with the knowledge of the effects of OTC [odds ratio/OR = 2.711, 95%Confidence Interval/CI 1.794-4.097, p <0.001]. On the contrary, the educational level appeared to be a protective factor [OR = 0.695, 95%CI 0.58-0.94, p = 0.016].

CONCLUSION

Although, according to our data, the phenomenon of OTC abuse appeared to be limited, increasing attention is needed because of possible underestimation and high-risk outcomes. Preventive strategies, including simplified access to information, may play a key role in limiting OTC misuse.

Pyrazole-containing pharmaceuticals: target, pharmacological activity, and their SAR studies

Pyrazole is a five-membered heterocycle bearing two adjacent nitrogen atoms. Both pharmaceutical agents and natural products with pyrazole as a nucleus have exhibited a broad spectrum of biological activities. In the last few decades, more than 40 pyrazole-containing drugs have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of a broad range of clinical conditions including celecoxib (anti-inflammatory), CDPPB (antipsychotic), difenamizole (analgesic), etc. Owing to the unique physicochemical properties of the pyrazole core, pyrazole-containing drugs may exert better pharmacokinetics and pharmacological effects compared with drugs containing similar heterocyclic rings. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of all the existing drugs bearing a pyrazole nucleus that have been approved or in clinical trials, involving their pharmacological activities and SAR studies.

A Yeast-Based Screening Unravels Potential Therapeutic Molecules for Mitochondrial Diseases Associated with Dominant ANT1 Mutations

Mitochondrial diseases result from inherited or spontaneous mutations in mitochondrial or nuclear DNA, leading to an impairment of the oxidative phosphorylation responsible for the synthesis of ATP. To date, there are no effective pharmacological therapies for these pathologies. We performed a yeast-based screening to search for therapeutic drugs to be used for treating mitochondrial diseases associated with dominant mutations in the nuclear ANT1 gene, which encodes for the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier. Dominant ANT1 mutations are involved in several degenerative mitochondrial pathologies characterized by the presence of multiple deletions or depletion of mitochondrial DNA in tissues of affected patients. Thanks to the presence in yeast of the AAC2 gene, orthologue of human ANT1, a yeast mutant strain carrying the M114P substitution equivalent to adPEO-associated L98P mutation was created. Five molecules were identified for their ability to suppress the defective respiratory growth phenotype of the haploid aac2^M114P. Furthermore, these molecules rescued the mtDNA mutability in the heteroallelic AAC2/aac2^M114P strain, which mimics the human heterozygous condition of adPEO patients. The drugs were effective in reducing mtDNA instability also in the heteroallelic strain carrying the R96H mutation equivalent to the more severe de novo dominant missense mutation R80H, suggesting a general therapeutic effect on diseases associated with dominant ANT1 mutations.