Methamphetamine Research Paper

Methamphetamine (MA) is a highly potent and addictive drug with major medical , psychiatric , cognitive, socioeconomic, and legal consequences [1]. MA was first synthesized from ephedrine in 1893 by chemist Nagai Nagayosh. In 1919, Akira Ogata synthesized crystallized MA by reducing ephedrine using red phosphorous and iodine, providing the basis for production of the drug on a larger scale (Figure 1) [2].

Figure 1: Chemical structure of methamphetamine.

MA is available in different forms such as a pure crystalline hydrochloride salt or as formulated tablets. Routes of administration are intravenous injection, smoking, anal or vaginal insertion (suppository), intranasal sniffing or snorting, and oral ingestion (swallowing) [3-5].

MA is a potent psychomotor stimulant drug with strong physiological effects on peripheral and central systems, resulting in both physical and psychological alterations [2]. It acts as a highly potent releaser of monoamines by increasing cytoplasmic concentrations of dopamine and serotonin and also norepinephrine, adrenaline and histamine and, to a lesser extent, blocks their synaptic reuptake. The most common presentations

Following lysosomal degradation, recycling occurs to replenish the cell with nutrients and building blocks for anabolic processes. Autophagy is critical for maintaining cellular energy homeostasis and regulating cell growth. It is considered to be a physiological mechanism that may serve as a means of temporary survival, and is triggered by starvation (amino acid and nutrient deprivation), hypoxia, and metabolic stress [9] [10]. As such, autophagy plays an important role in adaptation to starvation, immunity, and neuroprotection. In particular, autophagy inducer-mediated neuroprotective effects are related to the increase in mitochondrial turnover as a result of autophagy activation