New research on addiction conducted by scientists from the University of California-Irvine has discovered links between metabolism and the circadian rhythm.
The circadian clock relies on various interactions between systems to maintain regular timing and is entwined with metabolism. Environmental and/or genetic changes can distort communication between organs, which modifies the rhythm of various activities.
Professor Emiliana Borrelli, the study’s author, stated that the group’s discovery showed a connection between metabolic dysfunction and substance-use disorders. Borrelli, who has specialized in molecular genetics and microbiology, collaborated with the late Professor Paolo Sassone-Corsi on this study.
Substance-use disorders affect millions of individuals globally. The rewarding properties of drugs such as opioids, nicotine, alcohol and psychostimulants are linked to their ability to increase levels of dopamine in regions of the brain that induce pleasure and control emotions. The use of drugs usually alters neuronal plasticity, which leads vulnerable people to abuse and continue seeking these substances despite the destructive consequences the drugs have on their lives.
Borrelli explained that for their study, the researchers looked into how disrupting normal neuronal functions affected the body’s metabolic activity and pushed it into a modified state, which may play a role in the development of the drug-seeking behaviors that individuals suffering from substance use disorders usually exhibit. The scientists used mice models comprising of two groups: control mice and mice deficient in dopamine D2 receptor expression in striatal medium spiny neurons. The scientists conducted an analysis of the liver metabolome of both groups, which led to the discovery of changes in the liver circadian metabolome of the noncontrol group. The researchers also discovered that dopamine circuit activation by the administration of cocaine reprogrammed the circadian metabolome in the liver.
In the report, Borrelli explained that dopamine D2 receptor signaling in medium spiny neurons was necessary for the regulation of the response to the cellular and rewarding effects of drugs such as cocaine, noting that the group’s findings suggested that changes in dopamine signaling in certain striatal neurons gave rise to changes in the liver’s physiology.
This research demonstrated that dopamine receptors in striatal neurons help regulate liver metabolic activities, with the researchers noting that substances that increased the levels of dopamine in an individual’s brain, such as cocaine, disrupted circadian metabolic profiles, which was worsened by the loss of dopamine D2 receptor signaling in striatal neurons.
Borrelli also highlighted that the findings showed a link between systemic deficits and substance use as well as communication between liver metabolism and neurons. The study’s findings were reported in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.”
The discovery of the connection between addiction, circadian rhythm and metabolism shows how urgent it is to develop effective treatments for different mental health disorders in order to forestall the additional complications that could arise if a mental health condition isn’t effectively managed. Entities such as Mydecine Innovations Group Inc. (NEO: MYCO) (OTC: MYCOF) (FSE: ONFA) are worthy of mention in this regard because they are focused on coming up with next-generation therapeutics to help patients who are unresponsive to the existing treatments.
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