Estimating the impact of drug addiction causes heart damage

Abstract

To date, few studies have investigated the toxicological effects of the combined use of amphetamine and heroin in the heart. Hence, the aim of this study was to identify indicators for clinical evaluation and prevention of cardiac injury induced by the combined use of amphetamine and heroin. Four different groups were analyzed: (1) normal group (n＝25；average age＝35 ± 6.8); (2) heart disease group (n＝25；average age＝58 ± 17.2); (3) drug abusers (n = 27; average age = 37 ± 7.7); (4) drug abstainers (previous amphetamine-heroin users who had been drug-free for more than two weeks; n = 22; average age = 35 ± 5.6). The activity of MMPs, and levels of TNF-α, IL-6, GH, IGF-I, and several serum biomarkers were examined to evaluate the impact of drug abuse on the heart. The selected plasma biomarkers and classic cardiac biomarkers were significantly increased compared to the normal group. The zymography data showed the changes in cardiac-remodeling enzymes MMP-9 and MMP-2 among combined users of amphetamine and heroin. The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 only increased in the heart disease group. Growth hormone was increased; however, IGF-I level decreased with drug abuse and the level was not restored by abstinence. We speculated that the amphetamine-heroin users might pose risk to initiate heart disease even though the users abstained for more than two weeks. The activity change of MMP-9 and MMP-2 can be a direct reason affecting heart function. The indirect reason may be related to liver damage by drug abuse reduce IGF-1 production to protect heart function.

Keywords:

• Drug abuse
• toxin-induced cardiomyopathy
• cardiac toxicity
• matrix metalloproteinase
• IGF-1
• growth hormone

Acknowledgements

Experiments and data analysis were performed, in part, through the use of the Medical Research Core Facilities Center, Office of Research & Development at China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan

Author contributions

Sheng-Huang Chang, William Shao-Tsu Chen, and Chih-Yang Huang conceptualized and designed the study. Chiung-Hung Hsu and Bruce Chi-Kang Tsai collected and assembled the data. Sheng-Huang Chang and Pei-Ying Pai provided materials for the study. Marthandam Asokan Shibu and Bruce Chi-Kang Tsai analyzed and interpreted the data. Sheng-Huang Chang, Wei-Wen Kuo, and Wen-Tsan Weng wrote the draft of the manuscript. Hui-Chuan Kao, William Shao-Tsu Chen, and Chih-Yang Huang reviewed and gave the final approval of the manuscript. William Shao-Tsu Chen and Chih-Yang Huang provided the administrative support. Tzu-Ching Shih, Pei-Ying Pai and Chih-Yang Huang provided financial support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data and material of this study are available for publishing in public.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Pei-Ying Pai from the Asia University and China Medical University Hospital [ASIA-107-CMUH-01], William Shao-Tsu Chen from the Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital [TCRD110-78], and Chih-Yang Huang and Tzu-Ching Shih from the China Medical University [CMU 107-ASIA-03; CMU 107-ASIA-10].