Pittendrigh said that because fruit flies are small, it’s easier for researchers to work with the entire organism and all the tissues that are being impacted. He added that because methamphetamine influences cellular processes that are associated with aging, it affects spermatogenesis, which impacts the heart. He explained that meth could be called a “perfect storm toxin” because it damages so many tissues throughout the body.

The researchers identified several molecular pathways that were significantly altered by methamphetamine by tracking changes in gene expression and protein production in fruit flies.

They found that meth exposure influenced molecular pathways that are associated with energy generation, sugar metabolism, sperm cell formation, cell structure, hormones, skeletal muscles, and cardiac muscles.

Manfredo Seufferheld, a co-author on the study and crop sciences professor, said that the study discovered changes that suggest that meth exposure might change the cell’s energy metabolism in a manner similar to the changes that occur in quickly growing cancer cells. Most cancers rely on the rapid breakdown of glucose in a process called glycolysis, which doesn’t require oxygen. Healthy cells, on the other hand, use oxidative respiration, which is a slower, energy-generating process that occurs when oxygen is present. This change in energy metabolism in cancer cells is called the Warburg effect.

Seufferheld said that the discovery of the meth syndrome in fruit flies can be used to advance researchers’ knowledge of malignant cell growth by understanding the association between the Warburg effect and cell death.

Because glycolysis uses glycose to produce energy, the researchers tested the hypothesis that sugar metabolism is involved in the “toxic syndrome” created by meth exposure. They found that fruit flies that were exposed to meth lived longer if they were also exposed to trehalose, a blood sugar in insects that is also an antioxidant.

Lead author Lijie Sun said that human meth users are known to crave sugary drinks, and their study shows that increased sugar intake has a direct impact on reducing the toxicity of meth in fruit flies. This could help scientists develop treatments that could help lessen the damage caused to meth users.

The study showed that meth causes changes that may alter the amount of calcium and iron in cells, and they found numerous genes that seem to be involved in the meth-induced dysfunction of the formation of sperm.

Kent Walters, an author on the study, concluded that the study shows that fruit flies are excellent model for studying the toxic effect of methamphetamine at a molecular level.

Source: Science Daily, Fruit Flies on Meth: Study Explores Whole-Body Effects of Toxic Drug, April 20, 2011

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said that CVS pharmacies repeatedly failed to monitor sales of pseudophedrine, which indirectly helped meth traffickers obtain large amounts of the ingredient. Prosecutors said the sales led to a sharp increase in meth production in California.

The $75 million fine is the largest civil penalty ever paid under the Controlled Substances Act, according to the prosecutors. CVS also agreed to turn over $2.6 million in profits from illegal transactions.

U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. said this case shows what can happen when companies fail to properly follow their responsibilities. CVS was aware of the need to prevent sales of pseudophedrine for use in methamphetamine trafficking, but the company failed to take the necessary steps to control the sale of the regulated drug.

CVS admitted to the charges and agreed to a compliance agreement, so criminal charges will not be made against the pharmacy. The company said it will continue to cooperate with prosecutors on the case.

CVS CEO Thomas Ryan said that the lapse occurred in 2007 and 2008 and has been address, and that the company supports the federal government and states’ measures to prevent drug abuse.

Source: CNN, Blake Ellis, CVS to pay $77.6 million in meth case, October 14, 2010

The Drug Abuse Warning Network is a public health surveillance system that monitors emergency department visits that involve drugs, including methamphetamine. In order for an emergency department visit to be a DAWN case, the emergency department visit must have involved a drug, either as the direct cause of the visit or as a contributing factor.

DAWN recently released a report that offers important information about the emergency department visits involving methamphetamine between 2004 and 2008.

In 2004, there were 132,576 visits (8.2 percent of all visits) to the emergency department that involved methamphetamine but by 2008 that number had been reduced to 66,308 visits (3.3 percent). The trend was consistent among both males and females, showing a significant decline between 2004 and 2008 (a decrease of 39 percent and 37 percent, respectively).

In 2008, the report showed that methamphetamine-related visits to the emergency department varied by age. 34.7 percent of the visits were made by individuals aged 25 to 34. 24.5 percent of the visits were made by individuals 35 to 44, and 23.7 percent were made by individuals 18 to 24.

Most of the visits to the emergency department that involved methamphetamine also involved other drugs or alcohol. More than a quarter involved methamphetamine and another drug, and 34.2 percent involved methamphetamine combined with two or more other drugs.

Almost a quarter of methamphetamine-related visits to the emergency department also involved alcohol or marijuana. Nearly one in five methamphetamine-related visits involved cocaine or opiates.

The majority of methamphetamine-related visits to the emergency department resulted in the patient being treated and released (60.0 percent). Almost a quarter of the emergency department visits ended in the patient being admitted to a hospital, and 15.8 percent ended in another type of discharge (e.g., patient transfers, death, or some other type of discharge).

Emergency room visits involving methamphetamine provide an opportunity for medical staff to intervene in a situation where someone is abusing methamphetamine, often along with other drugs. The patient can be warned and educated about the dangers of mixing multiple substances and assist them in obtaining treatment for drug withdrawal, if necessary.
 

The projected four-year study will focus on the higher rates of oral diseases among methamphetamine users and how the presence of serious dental diseases in patients can help identify methamphetamine users in the early stages of abuse since other medical symptoms are usually not manifest in the outset of abuse.

The study will be led by Dr. Vivek Shetty, professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at UCLA’s School of Dentistry. Dr. Shetty co-authored a new report in the Journal of the American Dental Association on recognizing how severe oral disease plays a prevalent role in diagnosing methamphetamine abuse along with the other comorbid physical and physiological adverse reactions that are caused by this addiction. Dr. Shetty emphasized the unique ability of dental professionals to participate in the intervention process of drug abuse management upon discovering signs of methamphetamine use in their patients to help offer these individuals the medical assistance and support they badly require.

The NIDA-funded study is also aimed at defining the burden to oral health and hygiene that methamphetamine use causes, and to characterize how this problem has grown into a public health epidemic. NIDA estimated that there were 850,000 Americans ages 12 and older in 2008 who had abused methamphetamine that year, and that 10 million Americans have abused methamphetamine during their lifetime. The RAND Corporation estimates that methamphetamine abuse had cost the nation $23.4 billion in 2005, including costs for criminal justice, law enforcement, medical and emergency resources, premature deaths, loss of productivity, foster care, illicit production resulting in domestic disaster (i.e., home-made meth lab explosions), and treatment resources.

Aside from the severe dental problems caused by methamphetamine use (known as "meth mouth”), methamphetamine abusers can experience a range of physical symptoms including increased alertness, wakefulness, sleep deprivation, increased blood pressure, increased respiration, rapid heart rate, hyperthermia, and decreased appetite. More serious long-term effects include anxiety, uncharacteristic moods, anger, aggressiveness, confusion, memory loss, extreme weight loss, paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, and irreversible brain damage. Methamphetamine abusers also have a higher risk of obtaining HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases.

Methamphetamine addiction causes hundreds of premature deaths in the U.S. each year. With the integration of this new research funded by NIDA, even medical practitioners in the dental profession can join the forefront on drug abuse prevention and intervention.

The production of domestic methamphetamine, according to the 2009 assessment, is projected to exceed 2007 levels. While domestic production decreased from 2003 to 2007, the decreased flow of the drug from Mexico is prompting many U.S. users and distributors to again begin producing meth. The decline of Mexican meth production in 2007 was significant, resulting in decreased U.S. availability.

A report released by the RAND Corporation in February 2009 indicates that the economic costs of methamphetamine use in the U.S. in 2005 reached $23.4 billion. This comprehensive national assessment of the costs of meth use in America was sponsored by the Meth Project Foundation, with additional funding by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Two-thirds of the costs result from the burden of addition and the estimated 900 premature deaths among users in 2005. Crime, criminal justice, health care, production, environmental hazards and child endangerment costs were also included.

What it is

Methamphetamine (also commonly called meth and crystal meth) is a synthetic chemical that acts as a stimulant in the body. Meth can be made from drain cleaner, antifreeze, lantern fuel and battery acid.

Common street names

Meth has numerous street names, including: black beauties, biker’s coffee, chalk, chicken feed, co-fast, crystal, crystal meth, crank, glass, ice, meth, methlies quick, shabu, speed, stove top, trash, uppers, yaba and yellowbam.

How to identify it

Meth appears as a type of crystal powdered substance, often found in large chunks that look like rocks. When the powder flakes off from the rock, the shards look like glass, one of the street names for meth. The color of meth depends on its purity. It is usually white or slightly yellow.

How it’s used

Meth is injected, smoked, snorted or swallowed.

Effects of the drug

Users of meth experience a sense of energy, but the drug pushes the human body faster and beyond what is normal. Meth increases blood pressure, heart rate and stroke risk. Users who smoke or inject the drug get an intense sensation, often called an extremely pleasurable “rush” or a “flash,” but its duration is only a few minutes. Euphoria (but not a rush or a high) results from swallowing or snorting the drug. The feeling is short-lived, and is typically followed by high agitation that may lead to violent behavior.

Why meth is bad for you

Meth can kill a first-time user due to overdose leading to heart failure. It also can kill due to overheating, convulsions and coma. Meth damages the brain and can cause strokes and irreversible brain damage. Prolonged use can cause teeth to crack or deteriorate, requiring extraction. These conditions occur due to user’s poor oral hygiene, dry mouth, and tooth grinding and clenching. A more complete list of short-term and long-term effects includes the following:

• Addiction

• Anxiety

• Brain structural and functional changes: emotion and memory

• Confusion

• Dental problems (severe)

• Heart attack

• HIV/AIDs risk (for users who inject drug and/or engage in risky sex)

• Hyperthermia (overheating of the body)

• Increased blood pressure

• Increased respiration

• Insomnia

• Liver, lung and kidney damage, potentially leading to death

• Mood disturbances

• Psychotic episodes (paranoia, auditory and visual hallucinations, delusions)

• Severe crash after drug’s effects wear off

• Stroke

• Violent behavior

• Weight loss (severe, unhealthy)

Addicting?

A Schedule II drug under Federal classification, methamphetamine is highly addictive and illegal. Users can quickly develop a tolerance and need larger amounts to get high.

Withdrawal symptoms include severe craving, disruptions in sleep patterns, depression and confusion.