Evaluation of oxidative stress and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels related to crack-use detoxification

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 2018-03, Vol.670, p.62-68
• Main Authors: Hirsch, Gabriela Elisa, Jaskulski, Mônica, Hamerski, Henrique Morais, Porto, Ferando Garcez, da Silva, Brenda, Aita, Carlos Alberto Mayora, Kroker, Karla, de Bem Silveira, Gustavo, Silveira, Paulo Cesar Lock, Santos, Gabriela Trevisan, Klafke, Jonatas Zeni, Viecili, Paulo Ricardo Nazário
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biomarkers - blood; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - blood; Cocaine-Related Disorders - blood; Cocaine-Related Disorders - rehabilitation; Crack; Crack Cocaine; Drug detoxification; Glutathione - blood; Glutathione S-transferase; Humans; Male; Nitric Oxide - blood; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - physiology; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - blood; Superoxide dismutase; Superoxide Dismutase - blood; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.01.044

•Crack detoxification improves the oxidative parameters and antioxidant defenses.•Fourteen days of crack detoxification may be sufficient to improve redox profile.•Crack abstinence reduced BDNF levels, but wasn’t related to severity of drug use. Crack is a central nervous system stimulant extracted from the Erythroxylum coca plant. It is considered the most potent and addictive form of cocaine, and its euphoric effects are attained within a few seconds after consumption. Alteration of biological markers of oxidative stress and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) could be related to the severity of crack withdrawal symptoms in patients undergoing rehabilitation. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate if the crack consumption and the drug detoxification process during 14 days in hospitalization regime was able to modify the oxidative status and BDNF levels, in male crack-abstinent patients. The crack detoxification process increased the glutathione (GSH), total thiol content (GST), nitric oxide (NO), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels, and reduced the mean BDNF levels. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between the number of hospital admission days and SOD values and between the GST levels and crack-use time after 14 days of detoxification. Furthermore, a negative correlation between the frequency of crack use and NO levels on the first day of hospitalization was also found. In conclusion, the results of this study indicated that crack consumption causes increased oxidative stress in drug users and that the detoxification process during 14 days was sufficient to improve oxidative parameters and antioxidant defenses of the patients, which could positively contribute to rehabilitation process. In addition, we also observed a great variability in the BDNF levels of the patients during the detoxification process, resulting in a reduction in the mean values of this neurotrophin.