Neuronal changes and oxidative stress in adolescent rats after repeated exposure to mephedrone.

Mephedrone is a new designer drug of abuse. We have investigated the neurochemical/enzymatic changes after mephedrone administration to adolescent rats (3×25 mg/kg, s.c.

Serotonergic impairment and memory deficits in adolescent rats after binge exposure of methylone.

Methylone is a cathinone derivative that has recently emerged as a designer drug of abuse in Europe and the USA. Studies on the acute and long-term neurotoxicity of cathinones are starting to be conducted. We investigated the neurochemical/enzymatic changes indicative of neurotoxicity after methylone administration (4 × 20 mg/kg, subcutaneously, per day with 3 h intervals) to adolescent rats, to model human recreational use.

Dose and time-dependent selective neurotoxicity induced by mephedrone in mice.

Mephedrone is a drug of abuse marketed as 'bath salts". There are discrepancies concerning its long-term effects. We have investigated the neurotoxicity of mephedrone in mice following different exposition schedules.

Repeated doses of methylone, a new drug of abuse, induce changes in serotonin and dopamine systems in the mouse.

Rationale: Methylone, a new drug of abuse sold as "bath salts," has similar effects to ecstasy or cocaine.

Objective: We have investigated changes in dopaminergic and serotoninergic markers, indicative of neuronal damage induced by methylone in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and striatum of mice, according to two different treatment schedules.

Methods: Methylone was given subcutaneously to male Swiss CD1 mice at an ambient temperature of 26 °C.

An integrated pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study of a new drug of abuse, methylone, a synthetic cathinone sold as "bath salts".

Introduction: Methylone (3,4-methylenedioxymethcathinone) is a new psychoactive substance and an active ingredient of "legal highs" or "bath salts". We studied the pharmacokinetics and locomotor activity of methylone in rats at doses equivalent to those used in humans.

Material And Methods: Methylone was administered to male Sprague-Dawley rats intravenously (10mg/kg) and orally (15 and 30 mg/kg).

Comparative neuropharmacology of three psychostimulant cathinone derivatives: butylone, mephedrone and methylone.

Background And Purpose: Here, we have compared the neurochemical profile of three new cathinones, butylone, mephedrone and methylone, in terms of their potential to inhibit plasmalemmal and vesicular monoamine transporters. Their interaction with 5-HT and dopamine receptors and their psychostimulant effect was also studied.

Experimental Approach: Locomotor activity was recorded in mice following different doses of cathinones.

Interaction of mephedrone with dopamine and serotonin targets in rats.

Introduction: We described a first approach to the pharmacological targets of mephedrone (4-methyl-methcathinone) in rats to establish the basis of the mechanism of action of this drug of abuse.

Experimental Procedures: We performed in vitro experiments in isolated synaptosomes or tissue membrane preparations from rat cortex or striatum, studying the effect of mephedrone on monoamine uptake and the displacement of several specific radioligands by this drug.

Results: In isolated synaptosomes from rat cortex or striatum, mephedrone inhibited the uptake of serotonin (5-HT) with an IC ₅₀ value lower than that of dopamine (DA) uptake (IC ₅₀=0.