Benzodiazepines, a large group of drugs with primarily anxiolytic and sedative effects, have the same mechanism of action as highly addictive drugs such as opioids and cannabinoids, warn Swiss researchers in the journal Nature.
Their discovery explains why some patients become addicted to this type of drugs, but above all, it has the potential to help in the development of new, alternative and safe methods of treating anxiety.
Benzodiazepines are psychotropic drugs that have a sedative, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant and sleep-promoting effect. They are available in medicine under the names of diazepam, valium, and relanium. They calm down by enhancing the activity of the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain – gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
Christian Luscher and colleagues from the University of Geneva have shown that activation of the GABA receptor by benzodiazepine drugs increases the levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in brain structures involved in responses to other addictive substances, including opioids and cannabinoids.
As researchers observed, the addictive properties of benzodiazepines are revealed only if these drugs are associated with the so-called The alpha 1 subunit of the GABA receptor type A. If drugs are developed that bind to a different site of the GABA receptor, they should be effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders, and at the same time without the side effects of addiction, the authors of the study hope. (PAP)