Behavioural and neurochemical comparison of chronic intermittent cathinone, mephedrone and MDMA administration to the rat

Shortall, Sinead E.; Macerola, Alice E.; Swaby, Rabbi T.R.; Jayson, Rebecca; Korsah, Chantal; Pillidge, Katharine E.; Wigmore, Peter M.; Ebling, Francis J.P.; Richard Green, A.; Fone, Kevin C.F.; King, Madeleine V.

Abstract

The synthetic cathinone derivative, mephedrone, is a controlled substance across Europe. Its effects have been compared by users to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), but little data exist on its pharmacological properties. This study compared the behavioural and neurochemical effects of mephedrone with cathinone and MDMA in rats. Young-adult male Lister hooded rats received i.p. cathinone (1 or 4. mg/kg), mephedrone (1, 4 or 10. mg/kg) or MDMA (10. mg/kg) on two consecutive days weekly for 3 weeks or as a single acute injection (for neurochemical analysis). Locomotor activity (LMA), novel object discrimination (NOD), conditioned emotional response (CER) and prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response (PPI) were measured following intermittent drug administration. Dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and their major metabolites were measured in striatum, frontal cortex and hippocampus by high performance liquid chromatography 7 days after intermittent dosing and 2. h after acute injection. Cathinone (1, 4. mg/kg), mephedrone (10. mg/kg) and MDMA (10. mg/kg) induced hyperactivity following the first and sixth injections and sensitization to cathinone and mephedrone occurred with chronic dosing. All drugs impaired NOD and mephedrone (10. mg/kg) reduced freezing in response to contextual re-exposure during the CER retention trial. Acute MDMA reduced hippocampal 5-HT and 5-HIAA but the only significant effect on dopamine, 5-HT and their metabolites following chronic dosing was altered hippocampal 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), following mephedrone (4, 10. mg/kg) and MDMA. At the doses examined, mephedrone, cathinone, and MDMA induced similar effects on behaviour and failed to induce neurotoxic damage when administered intermittently over 3 weeks. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP.

Citation

Shortall, S. E., Macerola, A. E., Swaby, R. T., Jayson, R., Korsah, C., Pillidge, K. E., Wigmore, P. M., Ebling, F. J., Richard Green, A., Fone, K. C., & King, M. V. (2013). Behavioural and neurochemical comparison of chronic intermittent cathinone, mephedrone and MDMA administration to the rat. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 23(9), 1085-1095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2012.09.005

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 13, 2012
• Online Publication Date: Oct 7, 2012
• Publication Date: 2013-09
• Deposit Date: Jul 4, 2025
• Journal: European Neuropsychopharmacology
• Print ISSN: 0924-977X
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-7862
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 9
• Pages: 1085-1095
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2012.09.005
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3134130
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924977X12002696?via%3Dihub