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Published on: January 22, 2016
Oxidative stress status in recently abstinent methamphetamine abusers
Ming-Chyi Huang1, Shih-Ku Lin, Chun-Hsin Chen
1Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
|February 27, 2013
Summary
Methamphetamine (METH) abusers exhibit persistent oxidative stress during early abstinence, with compromised superoxide dismutase (SOD) and elevated catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) levels. These markers did not normalize after two weeks of continued abstinence.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Neuroscience
- Toxicology
Background:
- Methamphetamine (METH) use is linked to significant oxidative stress.
- The impact of early abstinence on systemic oxidative stress markers in METH abusers is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate systemic oxidative stress indices during early abstinence in METH abusers.
- To compare oxidative stress markers between METH abusers and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Measured serum malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) in 64 METH abusers and 60 controls.
- Assessed these markers at baseline and after 2 weeks of abstinence in METH abusers.
Main Results:
- METH abusers showed higher MDA, lower SOD, and higher CAT and GSH levels compared to controls at baseline.
- Oxidative stress markers did not change significantly after 2 weeks of abstinence.
- No significant correlations were found between oxidative stress indices and age, smoking, alcohol use, or METH use variables.
Conclusions:
- METH abusers experience persistent systemic oxidative stress in early abstinence.
- Compromised SOD with elevated CAT and GSH may represent a compensatory response to METH-induced oxidative stress.
- Longer-term effects of abstinence on oxidative stress require further investigation.
