Synthetic cathinones are the group of the most frequently identified so-called new psychoactive substances with a strong stimulating effect and high addictive potential. It is now believed that the use of these compounds increases the risk of sporadic forms of neurodegenerative diseases. The article presents current views on the mechanisms of neurotoxicity of synthetic cathinones, including: blood-brain barrier damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and hyperthermia. Further understanding of the cellular and molecular processes underlying neurotoxicity and associated clinical manifestations is essential in the development of therapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders resulting from the intake of synthetic cathinones.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.18388/pb.2021_493 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Chiral Recognition of Butylone by Methylated β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes: Molecular Calculations and Two-Level Factorial Designs.
ACS Omega
January 2025
School of Bio-Chemical Engineering and Technology, Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, Thammasat University, 99 Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.
The integration of molecular docking and AM1 calculations has elucidated the complexation behavior of butylone enantiomers with methylated β-cyclodextrin derivatives. Our study reveals that butylone can adopt two distinct conformations within the β-cyclodextrin cavity, with one conformation being preferentially stabilized due to its favorable binding energy. This conformation preference is influenced by the methylation at the O2, O3, and O6 positions of β-cyclodextrin, which significantly affects complex stability and solvation properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToxicological evaluation, postmortem case descriptions, and pharmacological activity of N,N-dimethylpentylone and related analogues.
J Anal Toxicol
January 2025
Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, Fredric Rieders Family Foundation, Horsham, PA.
Identification of N,N-dimethylpentylone (DMP) in counterfeit "Ecstasy" and "Molly" tablets poses risk to public health due to its adverse effects. Little information is available regarding the pharmacological activity or relevant blood or tissue concentrations of DMP, and even less is known about other structurally related beta-keto methylenedioxyamphetamine analogues on recreational drug markets, such as N-propyl butylone. Here, a novel toxicological assay utilizing liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-QQQ-MS) was developed and validated for the quantitation of DMP and five related synthetic cathinones (eutylone, pentylone, N-ethyl pentylone (NEP), N-propyl butylone, and N-cyclohexyl butylone), with chromatographic resolution from isomeric variants and quantitation performed by standard addition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUncovering the Metabolic Footprint of New Psychoactive Substances by Metabolomics: A Systematic Review.
Molecules
January 2025
Laboratório de Química Orgânica e Farmacêutica, Departamento de Ciências Químicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
New psychoactive substances (NPSs) emerged in the 2000s as legal alternatives to illicit drugs and quickly became a huge public health threat due to their easy accessibility online, limited information, and misleading labels. Synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones are the most reported groups of NPSs. Despite NPSs being widely studied, due to their structural diversity and the constant emergence of novel compounds with unknown properties, the development of new techniques is required to clarify their mode of action and evaluate their toxicological effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComprehensive evaluation of the toxicological effects of commonly encountered synthetic cathinones using in silico methods.
Toxicol Res (Camb)
February 2025
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
Synthetic cathinones (SCs), a group of new psychoactive substances (NPS), are designer molecules with hallucinogenic and psychostimulatory effects. Although the structural similarities of SCs to amphetamines suggest that they may have similar toxicity profiles to those of amphetamine congeners, little is known about SCs from a toxicological point of view. In the present study, the toxicity profiles of commonly encountered SCs ( = 65), listed in the 2020 Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), were evaluated using in silico methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZebrafish: A Cost-Effective Model for Enhanced Forensic Toxicology Capabilities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.
Cureus
December 2024
Zebrafish Research Unit, Mahatma Gandhi Medical Advanced Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed-to-be-University), Pondicherry, IND.
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are increasingly challenged by the rising burden of medicolegal cases. Traditional forensic infrastructure and in vivo rodent models often have significant limitations due to high costs and ethical concerns. As a result, zebrafish () are gaining popularity as an attractive alternative model for LMICs because of their cost-effectiveness and practical advantages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!