The role of mGluR2, a neuro receptacle that controls the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate, in the course of cocaine addiction.

Researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that removing a nerve receptacle in mice that controls the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate could reduce the effectiveness of cocaine, increasing its chances of quitting cocaine addiction.
related papers have been published in the journal Cell Communications.
the body, called mGluR2, protects nerve cells from the deadly damage of overdosing glutamate and is also associated with substance abuse.
researchers knocked out the gene that expresses the recepcep body to study the role of mGluR2 in cocaine addiction in mice.
results showed that mice without the receptive were more likely to take freely available ready-made cocaine than to do more to find it.
that when researchers stopped supplying them with cocaine, the mice quickly stopped their addiction.
even when the researchers re-offered cocaine, mice were less interested and had a lower rate of addiction recurrence.
that were "genetically knocked out" enjoyed less 'pleasure' in cocaine use.
so when the drugs are supplied indefinitely, they can be 'rewarded' by heavy smoking.
but when the drug is hard to get, rewards are hard to motivate mice to look around, so they quit their addictions.
," said study author and NIDA addiction researcher Zheng-Xiong Xi.
addition, the study revealed the role of glutamate in cocaine addiction at the cellular level.
previous studies have focused on the role of dopamine in addiction rewards.
long run, mGluR2's involvement in addiction mechanisms has a dual role: it serves as a biomarker and therapeutic drug target for predicting the risk of cocaine addiction.
next step, researchers plan to find out the effects of mGluR2 on opioid addiction, such as heroin.
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