Browsing by Author "Chetty, Yvette Yolanda."

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An investigation into the neurochemical and behavioural patterns of C57Bl6 mice exposed to "Sugars" and its constituents.
(2020) Chetty, Yvette Yolanda.; Nadar, Anand.; Naidoo, Panjasaram.
“Sugars” is an illicit drug cocktail that is a low-grade mixture of heroin and other opioids. The composition of this cocktail is highly varied as other ingredients are added during its manufacturing process to add bulk to the mixture and possibly increase profits of the suppliers. This highly addictive cocktail requires only a single use to initiate dependence and if not used timeously thereafter, severe withdrawal symptoms occur as soon as four hours after the last use. Due to the highly variable composition of this drug cocktail, it has been difficult to create a rehabilitation program with a low relapse rate as the physiological mechanisms of action of this cocktail have not been previously investigated. This study therefore aimed to investigate the physiological effects of “Sugars” and its ingredients in an animal model. This would provide novel findings on the pharmacological actions of the components of “Sugars” in the body as well as the physiological changes that may result during administration and withdrawal of the drug. This thesis is comprised of four manuscripts viz. one review paper that discusses the psychosocial issues of “Sugars” from an ethnographic standpoint and three experimental papers that focus on neurophysiology, behaviour, and immunology. The first experimental paper focuses on dopamine concentrations which were analysed using an ELISA assay and the sucrose preference test which can be used to assess the anhedonic behaviour in an animal model. The second paper focuses on the changes in memory function which was assessed using the Morris water maze and hippocampal mass and the third paper discusses changes in circulating immune cells following the analysis of blood samples with a heamotology analyser . The major findings emanating from this study were that administration of “Sugars” resulted in substantial changes in the dopaminergic system, cognitive abilities and haematological parameters involved in immunity; however, it was also observed that these changes were potentially reversed following a withdrawal period of 10 days in a mouse model. The extent of the effects observed may have also been influenced by the ratio of the ingredients in the cocktail. These novel findings can therefore assist in the formation of a targeted rehabilitation program that factors in the changes in the various physiological systems as discussed in this thesis. Key words: “Sugars”, illicit drug cocktail, dopamine, heroin, hippocampus
“Sugars”: the chemical characterization of a prevalent illicit drug cocktail in South Africa.
(2016) Chetty, Yvette Yolanda.; Nadar, Anand.
ABSTRACT Introduction “Sugars” is an illicit drug cocktail that is thought to be a mixture of heroin, cocaine and other substances in order to add bulk to the final product. Since its emergence in a local KwaZulu-Natal community known as Chatsworth in 2006, the use of the drug has spread to other provinces in South Africa and has currently become a popular drug amongst the youth. The affordability of the cocktail has allowed it to become rampant in low income communities and this coupled with its accessibility further reinforces “Sugars” as the preferred drug of choice. The use of the drug allows the user to experience euphoria, however once the effects wear off, the pain of the resulting withdrawal or “roster” drives the individual to continue using the drug. The withdrawal symptoms range from common cold and flu-like symptoms to extreme bone pain, stomach cramps, constipation and nausea. There have been attempts at rehabilitating “Sugars” addicts however, due to the lack of knowledge of a precise chemical composition of the cocktail, it is difficult to effectively maintain therapeutic interventions. Aim The aim of this study was therefore to chemically characterize the composition of “Sugars”, thereby allowing for the development of targeted treatment options for rehabilitation centres. Method Batches of samples of the mixture were sourced from 3 independent suppliers in the Durban South area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Chromatographic techniques were used to separate the individual constituents of the mixture and determine molecular weights of these compounds. Nuclear magnetic imaging was used to identify the compounds. Results and discussion The tests confirmed the presence of heroin, papaverine and noscapine in the “Sugars” samples analysed. However, there was variance noted in the composition between the different sources of the drug. We hypothesize that “Sugars” was therefore not heroin that is bulked up with other substances, but may be the waste product of the final purification process in the illicit heroin manufacturing process. Conclusion It was concluded that “Sugars” contained heroin, noscapine and papaverine. The variance in composition of heroin in the samples suggests independence between suppliers. The presence of papaverine and noscapine, which are impurities that are usually removed during the final purification of heroin, supports the hypothesis that “Sugars” is the waste product of the manufacture of heroin. Noscapine and papaverine are costly pharmaceutical products and we therefore speculate that it would not be economically viable to bulk up a cheap low grade drug cocktail with these compounds.