PSYC62H3 Lecture 9: Inhalants, Opioids, and Cannabinoids
PSYC62
LECTURE 9
Inhalants
• Volatile substances with psychoactive properties
• Repurposed from home or workplace products
• Some have clinical purposes
o e.g., anesthetic & vasodilation
• Volatile solvents are the most abused
• Molecular structure
o They're all hydrocarbons
• Adolescents represent the largest portion of inhalant users
• Only class of substance that is abused by younger vs. older teenagers
• Local impact
o Native children of Davis Inlet
▪ Young children huffing gasoline
▪ Altered psychological experiences
▪ Doing it bc they’re depressed and poor
▪ Live in a rural, isolated community = not really much access to other drugs like
cocaine
• Routes of administration
• Pharmacokinetics
o Rapid absorption and distribution within CNS -- why?
▪ Cross the BBB easily
▪ Volatile = achieves gaseous states really quickly
▪ Quickly reaches the different surfaces in lungs
• Similar CNS effects as ethanol
o NMDA receptor antagonism
o GABAa + modulation
• Inhalant effects vary across time
o Initial: stimulating
o Progressively: depressant effects
o Overdose: sudden sniffing death syndrome
▪ Question on the final on this
▪ Why would it cause sudden sniffing death syndrome
o Chronic use (dependence)
PSYC62
LECTURE 9
▪ Weak/brief withdrawal symptoms
▪ Psychological factors
• They don’t continue to abuse it because they’re addicted but mostly to
escape thsir depression and shit
Opioids
• Elicit pharmacological effects by acting on opioid receptors
• Natural
o Morphine and codeine (from opium poppies)
• Semisynthetic
o Heroin and oxycodone
▪ Require the precursors from natural to be formed
• Fully synthetic
o Fentanyl and methadone
▪ Don’t require natural precursors
• Pharmacokinetics and opioid abuse
o Intravenous injection or inhalation is typically preferred (recreational)
o Opioids permeate the BBB
▪ Lipid solubility varies among opioids
• Play a role in how well the drug has an impact on the CNS
o Opioids are primarily metabolized in the liver
▪ Active metabolites
▪ Compare ability of two opioids crossing BBB
▪ All end with morphine-6-glucuronide
▪ The ones in blue have CNS effects
• Endogenous opioid system
o It’s beta endorphin
o Endogenous opioid NTs derived from propeptides
Document Summary
Inhalants: volatile substances with psychoactive properties, repurposed from home or workplace products. Local impact: native children of davis inlet, young children huffing gasoline, altered psychological experiences, doing it bc they"re depressed and poor. Similar cns effects as ethanol: nmda receptor antagonism, gabaa + modulation. Initial: stimulating: progressively: depressant effects, overdose: sudden sniffing death syndrome, question on the final on this, why would it cause sudden sniffing death syndrome, chronic use (dependence) Opioids: weak/brief withdrawal symptoms, psychological factors, they don"t continue to abuse it because they"re addicted but mostly to escape thsir depression and shit, elicit pharmacological effects by acting on opioid receptors, natural, morphine and codeine (from opium poppies) Semisynthetic: heroin and oxycodone, require the precursors from natural to be formed. Fully synthetic: fentanyl and methadone, don"t require natural precursors, pharmacokinetics and opioid abuse. Intravenous injection or inhalation is typically preferred (recreational: opioids permeate the bbb. It"s beta endorphin: endogenous opioid nts derived from propeptides.
