title: Gender differences in the effect of tobacco use on brain phosphocreatine levels in methamphetamine-dependent subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A high prevalence of tobacco smoking has been observed in methamphetamine users, but there have been no in vivo brain neurochemistry studies addressing gender effects of tobacco smoking in methamphetamine users. Methamphetamine addiction is associated with increased risk of depression and anxiety in females. There is increasing evidence that selective analogues of nicotine, a principal active component of tobacco smoking, may ease depression and improve cognitive performance in animals and humans.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of tobacco smoking and gender on brain phosphocreatine (PCr) levels, a marker of brain energy metabolism reported to be reduced in methamphetamine-dependent subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty female and 27 male methamphetamine-dependent subjects were evaluated with phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)P-MRS) to measure PCr levels within the pregenual anterior cingulate, which has been implicated in methamphetamine neurotoxicity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of covariance revealed that there were statistically significant slope (PCr versus lifetime amount of tobacco smoking) differences between female and male methamphetamine-dependent subjects (p = 0.03). In females, there was also a statistically significant interaction between lifetime amounts of tobacco smoking and methamphetamine in regard to PCr levels (p = 0.01), which suggests that tobacco smoking may have a more significant positive impact on brain PCr levels in heavy, as opposed to light to moderate, methamphetamine-dependent females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that tobacco smoking has gender-specific effects in terms of increased anterior cingulate high energy PCr levels in methamphetamine-dependent subjects. Cigarette smoking in methamphetamine-dependent women, particularly those with heavy methamphetamine use, may have a potentially protective effect upon neuronal metabolism.
authors: Department of Psychiatry and .
authors: Young-Hoon
authors: YH
authors: Sung
authors: Deborah A
authors: DA
authors: Yurgelun-Todd
authors: Douglas G
authors: DG
authors: Kondo
authors: Xian-Feng
authors: XF
authors: Shi
authors: Kelly J
authors: KJ
authors: Lundberg
authors: Tracy L
authors: TL
authors: Hellem
authors: Rebekah S
authors: RS
authors: Huber
authors: Erin C
authors: EC
authors: McGlade
authors: Eun-Kee
authors: EK
authors: Jeong
authors: Perry F
authors: PF
authors: Renshaw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D059906:Neuroimaging; D010725:Phosphocreatine / Q000032:analysis*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D010725:Phosphocreatine; D008694:Methamphetamine
keywords: MRS; Methamphetamine; Tobacco smoking; neuroimaging; phosphocreatine; women