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Exercise and antioxidants have health benefits that improve cognitive impairment and may act synergistically. In this study, we examined the effects of treadmill exercise (TE) and mitochondria-targeted antioxidant mitoquinone (MitoQ), individually or combined, on learning and memory, mitochondrial dynamics, NADPH oxidase activity, and neuroinflammation and antioxidant activity in the hippocampus of D-galactose-induced aging rats. TE alone and TE combined with MitoQ in aging rats reduced mitochondrial fission factors (Drp1, Fis1) and increased mitochondrial fusion factors (Mfn1, Mfn2, Opa1). These groups also exhibited improved NADPH oxidase activity and antioxidant activity (SOD-2, catalase). TE or MitoQ alone decreased neuroinflammatory response (COX-2, TNF-α), but the suppression was greater with their combination. In addition, aging-increased neuroinflammation in the dentate gyrus was decreased in TE but not MitoQ treatment. Learning and memory tests showed that, contrarily, MitoQ alone demonstrated some similar effects to TE but not a definitive improvement. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that MitoQ exerted some positive effects on aging when used as an isolated treatment, but TE had a more effective role on cognitive impairment, oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondria dysfunction. Our findings suggest that the combination of TE and MitoQ exerted no synergistic effects and indicated regular exercise should be the first priority in neuroprotection of age-related cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the early 2000s, herbal mixtures containing synthetic cannabinoids (SCs), broadly known as Spice/K2, have been marketed as a legal marijuana surrogate and have become very popular among adolescents. Adolescence is a critical period of development, which is associated with an increased vulnerability to the central effects of drugs. Despite growing concerns about the negative effects of the use of SCs, newly synthetized compounds are increasingly detected in drugs seized by the authorities, posing a serious threat to public health. 5F-MDMB-PICA has been recently detected and classified as a highly potent agonist of CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. Here, we first investigated the rewarding properties of 5F-MDMB-PICA in C57BL/6 adolescent and adult mice by in vivo brain microdialysis. Data showed that acute administration of a selected dose of 5F-MDMB-PICA (0.01 mg/kg i.p.) stimulates the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens shell of adolescent, but not of adult, mice. To further investigate the consequences of repeated exposure to this dose of 5F-MDMB-PICA, a separate group of adolescent mice was treated for 14 consecutive days and evaluated for behavioral abnormalities at adulthood, starting from 7 days after drug discontinuation. Data showed that this group of adult mice displayed an anxiety-like and compulsive-like state as revealed by an altered performance in the marble burying test. Our study suggests an alarming vulnerability of adolescent mice to the effects of 5F-MDMB-PICA. These findings provide a useful basis for understanding and evaluating both early and late detrimental effects that may derive from the use of SCs during adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, the trend of drug consumption has completely changed, and several new psychoactive substances (NPS) have appeared on the drug market as legal alternatives to common drugs of abuse. Designed to reproduce the effects of illegal substances like cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine, or ketamine, NPS are only in part controlled by UN conventions and represent an emerging threat to global public health. The effects of NPS greatly differ from drug to drug and relatively scarce information is available at present about their pharmacology and potential toxic effects. Yet, compared to more traditional drugs, more dangerous short- and long-term effects have been associated with their use, and hospitalizations and fatal intoxications have also been reported after NPS use. In the era of cyberculture, the Internet acts as an ideal platform to promote and market these compounds, leading to a global phenomenon. Hidden by several aliases, these substances are sold across the web, and information about consumption is shared by online communities through drug fora, YouTube channels, social networks, and smartphone applications (apps). This review intends to provide an overview and analysis of social media that contribute to the popularity of NPS especially among young people. The possibility of using the same channels responsible for their growing diffusion to make users aware of the risks associated with NPS use is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]