User:P25g3b4/Amoxicillin/sulbactam

= Drug abuse retinopathy = Drug abuse retinopathy refers to the damage to the retina of the eyes caused by chronic drug abuse. Drugs commonly associated with this condition include cocaine, heroin, poppers, marijuana and methamphetamine. Common symptoms of drug abuse retinopathy include temporary and permanent vision loss, blurred vision, and night blindness.

Retina
Retina is the innermost layer of the eye which consists of 2 layers, the outer pigmented layer and the inner neural layer.

Maculopathy
Maculopathy is an eye disease that refers to breakdown of the macula. Macula is the region which contains the highest concentration of cone cells on the retina which is responsible for color vision. Symptoms of retinopathy include a reduction in central vision acuity, distorted vision, and perceived flashes of light that occur without an actual light source.

Alkyl nitrites (poppers)
Poppers is an inhalant drug which contains a range of alkyl nitrites, such as isobutyl nitrite and amyl nitrite. The use of intranasal poppers is associated with the development of macular degeneration through a poorly known mechanism. It may result from the increase level of nitric oxide (NO) after the oxidation of alkyl nitrites, which an increase level of NO exert more stimulatory effect on guanylate cyclase, an enzyme found in cone cells. Upon activation, guanylate cyclase converts more guanosine triphosphate (GTP) to cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). cGMP is involved in the photo-transduction pathway which allows calcium and sodium to enter and depolarize the cell. However, high levels of calcium will damage the photoreceptor cell. Upon activation, guanylate cyclase converts more guanosine triphosphate (GTP) to cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), a substance involved in the photo-transduction pathway which allows calcium and sodium to enter and depolarize the cell. A high level of cGMP results in high levels of calcium in the cells. The increase in intracellular cGMP and calcium level results in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which damage the cone cells at macula, causing macular degeneration.