DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Heroin and Desomorphine.

ACS Chem Neurosci

Bioactive Heterocycles Synthesis Laboratory, BHSL, Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Quı́mica y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 306, Avda. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul, 7820436 Santiago, Chile.

Published: December 2020

AI Article Synopsis

  • Opioids are a powerful class of drugs known for their effective pain relief, but they also have a dangerous potential for addiction and health risks like tolerance and withdrawal.
  • The most commonly abused opioids include heroin and desomorphine, both synthetic versions of morphine that share similar properties and effects.
  • A decrease in heroin production from Afghanistan led to an increase in the use of desomorphine in former Soviet states, highlighting a shift towards more accessible alternatives for those struggling with opioid misuse.

Article Abstract

Opioids are arguably one of the most important pharmacologic classes, mainly due to their rich history, their useful and potent analgesic effects, and also, just as importantly, their "Dark Side", constituted by their reinforcing properties that have led countless of users to a spiral of addiction, biological dependence, tolerance, withdrawal syndromes, and death. Among the most significant abused and addictive known opioids are heroin and desomorphine, both synthetic derivatives of morphine that belong to the 4,5-epoxymorphinan structural chemical group of the opioid family drugs. These agents share not only structural, pharmacological, and epidemiological features but also a common geographical distribution. A drop in Afghan heroin production and its "exports" to Russia gave rise to widespread consumption of desomorphine in ex-Soviet republics during the first decade of the 21st century, representing an economical and accessible alternative for misusers to this sort of derivative. Herein we review the state of the art of history, chemistry and synthesis, pharmacology, and impact on society of these "cursed cousins".

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00262DOI Listing

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