The Association between Dopamine and Oxidative Stress for Methamphetamine Iraqi Addicts

Abstract

Background : Methamphetamine (METH) abuse is a considerable public health problem around the world, itis classified as synthetic drugs knows amphetamine-type stimulants (ATSs). METH causes the release of dopamine ( DA) simultaneously prevents the degradation of DA by inhibiting monoamine oxidase, and inhibits DA uptake, DA reacts with molecular oxygen to form reactive oxygen species (ROS) namely superoxide and hydroxyl free radicals and hydrogen peroxide, the mechanism suggesting of selectivity of damage may be explained by the oxidation of cytosolic dopamine to 6-hydroxydopamine, which can oxidize proteins and lipids. This study was designed to investigate the effect of methamphetamine abuse on the dopamine levels and oxidative stress. Materials and Method: The blood samples from fifty Methamphetamine addicts were collected from( Forensic medicine department and Ibn Rushd Psychiatric Training Hospital) and thirty normal men were taken, among the Iraqi society, dopamine and the total antioxidant activity ,nitric oxide scavenging activity, free radical scavenging activity (DPPH radical ) and total lipid peroxidation levels in serum were measured . Results: Our data shown the increasing of dopamine levels(1319.9±324.6 pg/dL) and the percentage of total antioxidant scavenging activity(40.3±11.6), free radical scavenging activity(32.6±10.1) and nitric oxide scavenging activity(38.6±13.5) were decrease. While the percentage of total lipid peroxidation assay (61.6±16.8) were increased in METH addiction in compared with healthy control (1043.9±271.2 , 71.5±5.18, 67.6±12.5, 71.9±11.07, 29.7±13.2) P value(0.0001). Conclusions: METH was cause to increase dopamine and itself lead to increasing free radical and also, has harmful effects on lipid profile and antioxidant enzymes,. obtained data suggest that the widely abused psychostimulant methamphetamine can damage brain dopamine neurons by causing dopamine-dependent oxidative stress by production of free radical.