DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Heroin and Desomorphine

Abstract

Opioids are arguably one of the most important pharmacologic classes, mainly due to their rich history, their useful and potent analgesic effects, and also, just as importantly, their "Dark Side", constituted by their reinforcing properties that have led countless of users to a spiral of addiction, biological dependence, tolerance, withdrawal syndromes, and death. Among the most significant abused and addictive known opioids are heroin and desomorphine, both synthetic derivatives of morphine that belong to the 4,5-epoxymorphinan structural chemical group of the opioid family drugs. These agents share not only structural, pharmacological, and epidemiological features but also a common geographical distribution. A drop in Afghan heroin production and its "exports" to Russia gave rise to widespread consumption of desomorphine in ex-Soviet republics during the first decade of the 21st century, representing an economical and accessible alternative for misusers to this sort of derivative. Herein we review the state of the art of history, chemistry and synthesis, pharmacology, and impact on society of these "cursed cousins".

DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Etonitazene and Related Benzimidazoles

“…In the past 15 years, several structurally diverse synthetic substances with known or purported morphine-like pharmacological properties and not regulated under the international drug control system have emerged on the illicit drug market as new psychoactive substances (NPSs). As of February 2021, a total of 69 opioid NPS have been reported to the European Union Early Warning System on New Psychoactive Substances, operated by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). − On a global level, more than 70 opioid NPS were notified to the Early Warning Advisory of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. , Earlier DARK Classics papers reviewed several opiates and their semisynthetic derivatives, − as well as the synthetic opioids fentanyl, carfentanil, and the recently emerged 1,2-diamine derivative U-47,700 . The most recent family of synthetic opioids to emerge on the drug market are the 2-benzylbenzimidazole derivatives that were invented in the late 1950s.…”

Surgical Treatment in Patients with Toxic Phosphorus Osteonecrosis of Facial Skull Middle Zone

“…In recent years, the problem of treating patients with toxic phosphorus osteonecrosis of the bones of the facial part of the skull has become not only medical and highly specific, but also social [1][2][3][4]. This is caused by the occurrence of a pathological process in already immunocompromised patients that could aggravate the course of both the predominant diseases (such as hepatitis C) and the osteonecrosis itself [5].…”

Recent Chemical and Pharmacological Developments on 14-Oxygenated-N-methylmorphinan-6-ones

“…The skeleton of morphine is a nitrogen-containing phenanthrene derivative belonging to the class of morphinans ( Figure 1 ). One of the first ‘nonaddictive morphine substitutes’ to be introduced was the 3,6-diacetylated derivative, diacetylmorphine (heroin), but the claims for reduced respiratory depression and dependence liability were soon shown to be ill-founded [ 37 ]. Numerous chemical efforts have contributed to the design and synthesis of various derivatives of morphine that are used as therapeutics and/or important research tools ( Figure 2 ), with references to comprehensive literature reviewed over the years [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 ].…”