MIDARP at Hampton University

描述(由申请人提供)：拟议的MIDARP计划被设想为在汉普顿大学校园内启动物质滥用领域的生物医学研究的载体。该计划的基本目标是不受限制地发展一个充满活力和可持续的关于药物滥用的生物医学研究计划。这一目标将通过一系列有计划的活动来实现，这些活动旨在通过加强生物医学研究基础设施来加强研究文化，通过创建促进少数族裔教员培训的教师发展方案，促进药学院与生物、化学和心理学系之间的跨学科合作，并促进生物医学科学方面的研究生和本科生的培训，特别是在物质滥用研究方面。此外，该提案试图阐明与3，4-亚甲基二氧基甲基苯丙胺(“摇头丸”，MDMA)引起的神经毒性有关的潜在生化机制。为此，提出了五个研究项目： 1.MDMA潜在代谢物及拮抗剂的合成 2.MDMA代谢产物对5-羟色胺能和多巴胺能神经元支配的神经细胞的诱导凋亡作用。 3.利用人肝细胞体外研究MDMA的代谢 4.MDMA代谢产物与多巴胺和5-羟色胺转运体的相互作用。 5.MDMA代谢产物对大鼠不同脑区和脑突起的影响。 预期从计划的活动中获得的成果将大大加强关于亚甲二氧基甲基安非他明有害影响涉及的机制的现有知识。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed MIDARP Program is envisioned to be the vehicle by which biomedical research in the substance abuse arena is initiated on the campus of Hampton University. The underlying goal of the program is the unbridled development of a vigorous and sustainable biomedical research program on substance abuse. This goal will be realized via a series of planned activities that are designed to enhance the research culture by augmenting the biomedical research infrastructure, by creating faculty development programs that facilitate the training of minority faculty members and foster interdisciplinary collaboration between the School of Pharmacy and the Departments of Biology, Chemistry and Psychology and to facilitate the training of graduate and undergraduate minority students in the biomedical sciences, particularly in substance abuse research. Furthermore, the proposal seeks to elucidate the underlying biochemical mechanisms associated with the neurotoxicity occasioned by 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine ("Ecstasy," MDMA). Toward this end, five research projects have been proposed: 1. Synthesis of potential metabolites and antagonists of MDMA. 2. Induction of apoptosis in neuritic cells innervated by serotonergic and dopaminergic neurons, by metabolites of MDMA. 3. In Vitro study of the metabolism of MDMA using human hepatocytes 4. Interactions between MDMA metabolites and dopamine and serotonin transporters. 5. The impact of MDMA metabolites on a variety of brain regions and processes in rats. It is anticipated that the results garnered from the planned activities will significantly enhance the existing body of knowledge on the mechanisms involved in the deleterious effects of MDMA.