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Targeting redox regulation to treat substance use disorder using N‐acetylcysteine
Author(s) -
Womersley Jacqueline S.,
Townsend Danyelle M.,
Kalivas Peter W.,
Uys Joachim D.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/ejn.14130
Subject(s) - addiction , acetylcysteine , dopamine , drug , oxidative stress , neuroscience , substance abuse , drugs of abuse , pharmacology , psychology , medicine , psychiatry , chemistry , antioxidant , biochemistry
Substance use disorder (SUD) is a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by transitioning from acute drug reward to compulsive drug use. Despite the heavy personal and societal burden of SUDs, current treatments are limited and unsatisfactory. For this reason, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying addiction is required. Altered redox status, primarily due to drug‐induced increases in dopamine metabolism, is a unifying feature of abused substances. In recent years, knowledge of the effects of oxidative stress in the nervous system has evolved from strictly neurotoxic to include a more nuanced role in redox‐sensitive signaling. More specifically, S‐glutathionylation, a redox‐sensitive post‐translational modification, has been suggested to influence the response to drugs of abuse. In this review we will examine the evidence for redox‐mediating drugs as therapeutic tools focusing on N‐acetylcysteine as a treatment for cocaine addiction. We will conclude by suggesting future research directions that may further advance this field.