In a recent study, UC Irvine pharmacological researchers have discovered that cocaine desire can be controlled by blocking a hormone related to hunger regulation. This new finding can bring a new approach to the treatments of addiction.

Led by Shinjae Chung and Olivier Civelli, the study focused on the work relationship of melanin-concentrating hormone and dopamine in the brain’s “pleasure center” for creating an addictive response to cocaine use. The investigators found that blocking of MCH in these brain cells could limit cocaine cravings.

The study is first of its kind that highlights the interaction of MCH and dopamine in cocaine addiction and shows that it occurs in the nucleus accumbens, a part of forebrain and is believed to play an important role in addiction and feelings of pleasure and fear.

Civelli, the Eric L. and Lila D. Nelson Professor of Neuropharmacology said that the discovery indicated MCH as a key regulator of dopamine in a brain area associated with both pleasure and addiction. He also said that they believed that efforts to target MCH might lead to new treatments that would help in breaking cocaine addiction and possibly for other drugs, like amphetamines and nicotine too.

From Science Daily:

UC Irvine pharmacological researchers have discovered that blocking a hormone related to hunger regulation can limit cocaine craving. Their findings could herald a new approach to overcoming addiction.

Led by Shinjae Chung and Olivier Civelli, the study identified how the melanin-concentrating hormone works with dopamine in the brain’s “pleasure center” to create an addictive response to cocaine use. The researchers further found that blocking MCH in these brain cells limited cocaine cravings.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter essential to the normal functioning of the central nervous system. It also is associated with feelings of pleasure and is released in the brain during eating, sex and drug use. Heightened levels of the neurotransmitter have been detected in the nucleus accumbens of drug addicts.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is very important for the normal functioning of the central nervous system. It is associated with feelings of pleasure and is released in the brain during eating, sex and drug use. Increased levels of the neurotransmitter were detected in the nucleus accumbens of drug addicts.

In mammals, MCH is involved in the regulation process of feeding behavior and energy balance. Worlwide researchers are in search of compounds that can lower MCH level for potential use in the treatment of obesity. Chung and Civelli believed that MCH works in the nucleus accumbens to increase the pleasure of eating. During the study they found that signal of dopamine rose sharply when MCH amounts increased in those brain cells.

The UCI researchers discovered that test mice, when conditioned to develop cocaine cravings, had increased amounts of MCH and dopamine in their nucleus accumbens and when experimental compounds jamming MCH proteins were administered, those hunger signs disappeared. In addition, Chung and Civelli discovered that mice lacking key receptors for MCH exhibited significantly fewer cocaine cravings.

Whatever the ultimate result will occur, but the team hopes to learn whether modulating MCH might be beneficial in treating other dopamine-related disorders as well.

Tags: cocaine, dopamine, melanin-concentrating hormone

Posted in buy steroids, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids