Circulación de información sobre medicamentos y otras sustancias para aumentar el rendimiento cognitivo: un estudio de un blog brasileño (2015-2017) / Circulation of information on drugs and other substances to increase cognitive performance: a study of a Brazilian blog (2015-2017)

RESUMEN Al observar los procesos de (bio)medicalización y farmacologización de la sociedad, este artículo aborda los medicamentos que han sido utilizados por individuos sanos para aumentar sus dimensiones cognitivas, como el estado de alerta, la memoria y la concentración. Las llamadas "drogas inteligentes" o "drogas nootrópicas" se han extendido entre los jóvenes a través de Internet. La circulación de información sobre tales drogas se analiza desde un blog brasileño llamado Cérebro Turbinado, sobre el que se realizó una investigación documental basada en el material publicado en el blog entre 2015 y 2017, de acceso público. La investigación adopta marcos teóricos y metodológicos de las ciencias sociales, junto a una perspectiva antropológica. Los resultados muestran que el blog actúa como un medio para la difusión del conocimiento biomédico entre el público lego y muestra la producción de nuevas formas de subjetividad al revelar los significados que se atribuyen a tales sustancias en los procesos de socialización.

ABSTRACT By observing the processes of (bio)medicalization and pharmaceuticalization of society, this article addresses drugs that have been used by healthy individuals to increase cognitive dimensions such as alertness, memory, and concentration. The use of so-called "smart drugs" or "nootropics" has spread among young people, aided by the internet. The circulation of information about such drugs are analyzed using a Brazilian blog called "Cérebro Turbinado," through publications available for public access between 2015 and 2017. The study adopts theoretical and methodological frameworks of the social sciences, including an anthropological perspective. Documental research was conducted on the internet, specifically with scientific dissemination materials and the material available from the aforementioned blog. The results show that the blog acts as a medium for spreading biomedical knowledge among the lay public and indicates the production of new forms of subjectivity by revealing the meanings attributed to these substances in socialization processes.

Behavioral cross-sensitization between testosterone and fenproporex in adolescent and adult rats

The abuse of psychoactive drugs is considered a global health problem. During the last years, a relevant number of studies have investigated the relationship between anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) and other psychoactive drugs. AAS, such as testosterone, can cause a dependence syndrome that shares many features with the classical dependence to psychoactive substances. Pre-clinical evidence shows that there are interactions between testosterone and psychoactive drugs, such as cocaine. However, few studies have been performed to investigate the effect of repeated testosterone treatment on behavioral effects of amphetamine derivatives, such as fenproporex. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of repeated testosterone administration on fenproporex-induced locomotor activity in adolescent and adult rats. Adolescent male Wistar rats were injected with testosterone (10 mg/kg sc for 10 days). After 3 days, animals received an acute injection of fenproporex (3.0 mg/kg ip) and the locomotor activity was recorded during 40 min. Thirty days later, the same animals received the same treatment with testosterone followed by a fenproporex challenge injection as described above. Our results demonstrated that repeated testosterone induced behavioral sensitization to fenproporex in adolescent but not in adult rats. These findings suggest that repeated AAS treatment might increase the dependence vulnerability to amphetamine and its derivatives in adolescent rats.

Possible mechanisms involved in the vasorelaxant effect produced by clobenzorex in aortic segments of rats

Clobenzorex is a metabolic precursor of amphetamine indicated for the treatment of obesity. Amphetamines have been involved with cardiovascular side effects such as hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the direct application of 10-9-10-5 M clobenzorex on isolated phenylephrine-precontracted rat aortic rings produces vascular effects, and if so, what mechanisms may be involved. Clobenzorex produced an immediate concentration-dependent vasorelaxant effect at the higher concentrations (10-7.5-10-5 M). The present outcome was not modified by 10-6 M atropine (an antagonist of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors), 3.1×10-7 M glibenclamide (an ATP-sensitive K+ channel blocker), 10-3 M 4-aminopyridine (4-AP; a voltage-activated K+ channel blocker), 10-5 M indomethacin (a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor), 10-5 M clotrimazole (a cytochrome P450 inhibitor) or 10-5 M cycloheximide (a general protein synthesis inhibitor). Contrarily, the clobenzorex-induced vasorelaxation was significantly attenuated (P<0.05) by 10-5 M L-NAME (a direct inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase), 10-7 M ODQ (an inhibitor of nitric oxide-sensitive guanylyl cyclase), 10-6 M KT 5823 (an inhibitor of protein kinase G), 10-2 M TEA (a Ca2+-activated K+ channel blocker and non-specific voltage-activated K+ channel blocker) and 10-7 M apamin plus 10-7 M charybdotoxin (blockers of small- and large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels, respectively), and was blocked by 8×10-2 M potassium (a high concentration) and removal of the vascular endothelium. These results suggest that the direct vasorelaxant effect by clobenzorex on phenylephrine-precontracted rat aortic rings involved stimulation of the NO/cGMP/PKG/Ca2+-activated K+ channel pathway.

Narcotics and their toxic behaviour

Narcotics have been a matter of great concern and pose increasing threats and dangers to humanity. The lack of awareness and knowledge about the abused drugs has further aggravated the situation. Various aspects of the addictive chemicals have been studied and the introductory notes on the major abused drugs, amphetamine 1, methamphetamine 2, 2, 5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine 3, mescaline 4, cocaine 5, morphine 6, heroin 7, codeine 8, diazepam 9, pencyclidine 10, 1-piperidinocyclohexane cardonitrile 11, methaqualone 12, delta9- tetrahydrocannabinol 13 and methadone 14 have been presented. The pharmacological behaviour of the abused drugs are, as well, being discussed

Efecto del agotamiento de la noradrenalina y la dopamina cerebrales de la rata sobre la actividad locomotriz espontánea y la estimulada por anfetamina / Effect of rat brain noradrenaline and dopamine depletion spontaneous and amphetamine induced stimulation

La destrucción de las fibras noradrenérgicas y dopaminérgicas por 6-hidroxidopamina, inyectada en la cisterna magna disminuye la actividad motora nocturna de las ratas en un 40% y bloquea en un 90%el efecto excitatorio de la anfetamina. El agotamiento selectivo de noradrenalina cerebral en más de un 70%, producido por inhibidores de la dopamina-beta-hidroxilasa (disulfiram, FLA-63), anula el efecto excitatorio de la anfetamina y además reduce la actividad motriz espontánea de las ratas, encontrándose en estos animales un contenido normal de dopamina en la corteza cerebral y el cuerpo extraído. En conclusión, estos resultados refuerzan la hipótesis que asigna a la noradrenalina el papel principal en el control de la actividad motriz de los roedores

Prováveis mecanismos de açäo de estimulantes tipo anfetamínicos sobre o sistema nervoso central / Probable mechanisms of action of amphetamine type stimulants on the central nervous system

Nesta revisäo säo apresentados os prováveis mecanismos de açäo das drogas psicoestimulantes, tendo como padräo a anfetamina. Säo revistos também resultados obtidos com os estudos sobre a fencanfamina (Reactivan), um estimulante utilizado abusivamente em nosso meio. A administraçäo dessas drogas aumenta a liberaçäo de dopamina de ambos os reservatórios celulares de armazenamento. Estes efeitos säo dose-dependentes e multifásicos e, portanto, de difícil interpretaçäo em termos funcionais da transmissäo dopaminérgica