Genetic Makeup May Help Explain Methadone Overdoses

In this article it is explained how research was performed to connect ties with genetic variations to the body's ability of metabolizing methadone. First, Methadone is a drug, when taken reduces the effect of heroin or other drugs when taken. Basically it is an opiate blocker. The problem with methadone however is that it can serve to be very dangerous if it stays in the body for a certain period of time. Dr. Evan Kharasch mentioned that some people have high amounts of this drug in their blood which can lead to an overdose. Everyone's body is different and so people metabolize methadone differently.

If genetic testing is applied before these patients receive methadone it can perhaps save the lives of many who are deceased each year because of overdose. The study performed consisted of taking blood samples from healthy individuals to determine their genetic makeup, and then gave them methadone to see how quickly it could clear from the body. The results indicated that the liver played a major role in terms of the time period of methadone staying in the body. Researchers determined that Blacks had higher methadone levels in the blood even though they were given the same dose and the odd were higher of them having the gene variant linked to slower methadone metabolism. This clearly supports the fact that everyone is different in how they metabolize methadone. One other interesting point brought up was that the researchers discovered that liquid or pill forms of methadone were more likely to have an affect on metabolism than having methadone injected into the vein. This was very intriguing because the majority of primary care physicians will prescribe this drug in the pill form than injecting it through the vein.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2015/10/27/genetic-makeup-may-help-explain-methadone-overdoses

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4149396/

Tiny bird, tiny genome

Scientists have determined that hummingbirds have the least amount of DNA compared to all other birds, reptiles, or mammals.   This reduced DNA is evident in all species of hummingbirds, indicating that the DNA was pared down before speciation.  Scientists have also identified a link between small amounts of DNA and higher metabolic rates.  It is believed that smaller genomes allow for smaller cells and a resulting larger surface-to-volume cell ratio.  This link is evident not only in hummingbirds, but also in most other birds and bats.



This study is being conducted by Ryan Gregory and his colleagues at the University of Guelph in Canada.  By staining DNA in the nucleus and analyzing it’s density, they have estimated the genome size of 37 species of hummingbirds.   Scientists believe hummingbirds may have the smallest genomes and the highest metabolic rates theoretically possible.

I found this article very interesting.  Hummingbirds are one of my favorite animals and I was intrigued by the genetic links between their genome lengths and metabolic rates.  The proposed relationship between surface-to-volume cell ratio and metabolic rate makes perfect sense and I am curious as to what other organisms also display this relationship.