Preclinical characterization of toluene as a non-classical hallucinogen drug in rats: participation of 5-HT, dopamine and glutamate systems

Effects of housing condition on the development and persistence of addictive-like behavior induced by toluene

Environmental factors can modify addictive responses induced by drugs of abuse; however, little is known about the impact of environmental conditions on behavioral responses induced by inhalants. In this study, we analyzed the effects of housing conditions, considering environmental enrichment (EE; n = 10), social isolation (SI; n = 10), and standard housing (STD; n = 10), as positive, negative, and control environments, respectively, on the development and persistence of behavioral sensitization induced by toluene. Mice exposed to air were used as a comparative control groups for each housing condition (EE: n = 11, SI: n = 10 and STD: n = 11). Results showed that a history of toluene exposure induced the development of locomotor sensitization in mice, independent of their housing conditions. However, SI increased the expression of behavioral sensitization to toluene after a drug-free period.

Repeated toluene and cyclohexane inhalation produces differential effects on HPA and HPT axes in adolescent male rats

Misused volatile solvents typically contain toluene (TOL) as the main psychoactive ingredient. Cyclohexane (CHX) can also be present and is considered a safer alternative. Solvent misuse often occurs at early stages of life, leading to permanent neurobehavioral impairment and growth retardation. However, a comprehensive examination of the effects of TOL and CHX on stress regulation and energy balance is lacking. Here, we compared the effect of a binge-pattern exposure to TOL or CHX (4,000 or 8,000 ppm) on body weight, food intake, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axes in male adolescent Wistar rats. At 8,000 ppm, TOL decreased body weight gain without affecting food intake. In addition, TOL and CHX altered the HPA and HPT axes' function in a solvent- and concentration-dependent manner. The highest TOL concentration produced HPA axis hyperactivation in animals not subjected to stress, which was evidenced by increased corticotropin-releasing-factor (CRF) release from the median eminence (ME), elevated adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone serum levels, and decreased CRF mRNA levels in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). TOL (8,000 ppm) also increased triiodothyronine (T3) serum levels, decreased pro-thyrotropin-releasing-hormone (pro-TRH) mRNA transcription in the PVN, pro-TRH content in the ME, and serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. CHX did not affect the HPA axis. We propose that the increased HPT axis activity induced by TOL can be related to the impaired body weight gain associated with inhalant misuse. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the effects of the misused solvents TOL and CHX.

Experimental strategies to discover and develop the next generation of psychedelics and entactogens as medicines

Research on classical psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD and DMT) and entactogen, MDMA, has produced a renaissance in the search for more effective drugs to treat psychiatric, neurological and various peripheral disorders. Psychedelics and entactogens act though interaction with 5-HT_2A and other serotonergic receptors and/or monoamine reuptake transporters. 5-HT, which serves as a neurotransmitter and hormone, is ubiquitously distributed in the brain and peripheral organs, tissues and cells where it has vasoconstrictor, pro-inflammatory and pro-nociceptive actions. Serotonergic psychedelics and entactogens have known safety and toxicity risks. For these drugs, the risks been extensively researched and empirically assessed through human experience. However, novel drug-candidates require thorough non-clinical testing not only to predict clinical efficacy, but also to address the risks they pose during clinical development and later after approval as prescription medicines. We have defined the challenges researchers will encounter when developing novel serotonergic psychedelics and entactogens. We describe screening techniques to predict clinical efficacy and address the safety/toxicity risks emerging from our knowledge of the existing drugs: 1) An early-stage, non-clinical screening cascade to pharmacologically characterise novel drug-candidates. 2) Models to detect hallucinogenic activity. 3) Models to differentiate hallucinogens from entactogens. 4) Non-clinical preclinical lead optimisation technology (PLOT) screening to select drug-candidates. 5) Modified animal models to evaluate the abuse and dependence risks of novel psychedelics in Safety Pharmacology testing. Our intention has been to design non-clinical screening strategies that will reset the balance between benefits and harms to deliver more effective and safer novel psychedelics for clinical use. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'National Institutes of Health Psilocybin Research Speaker Series'.

Short- and long-term effects of chronic toluene exposure on recognition memory in adolescent and adult male Wistar rats

Abuse of toluene-containing volatile inhalants, particularly among youth, is of significant medical and social concern worldwide. Teenagers constitute the most abundant users of toluene and the majority of adult abusers of toluene started as teenagers. Although the euphoric and neurotoxic effects of acute toluene have been widely studied, lasting effects of chronic toluene exposure, especially in various age groups, have not been well investigated. In this study, we used adolescent and adult male Wistar rats to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of chronic toluene on various behaviors including cognitive function. Daily exposure to toluene (2000 ppm) for 40 days (5min/day) resulted in age-dependent behavioral impairments. Specifically, adolescent animals showed recognition memory impairment the day after the last exposure, which had normalized by day 90 post- exposure, whereas such impairment in adult animals was still evident at day 90 post-exposure. Our data suggest that age-dependent responses should be taken into consideration in interventional attempts to overcome specific detrimental consequences of chronic toluene exposure.

Is (R)-ketamine a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Treatment-Resistant Depression with Less Detrimental Side Effects? A Review of Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Ketamine and its Enantiomers

Approximately one-third of individuals with major depressive disorder are resistant to conventional antidepressants (i.e., monoamine-based therapies), and, even among respondents, a proper therapeutic effect may require weeks of treatment. Ketamine, a racemic mixture of the two enantiomers, (R)-ketamine and (S)-ketamine, is an N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist and has been shown to have rapid-acting antidepressant properties in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Although (R)-ketamine has a lower affinity for NMDAR, it presents greater potency and longer-lasting antidepressant properties, with no major side effects, than racemic ketamine or (S)-ketamine in preclinical findings. Thereby, ketamine and its enantiomers have not only an antagonistic effect on NMDAR but also a strong synaptogenic-modulatory effect, which is impaired in TRD pathophysiology. In this review, we summarize the current evidence regarding the modulation of neurotransmission, neuroplasticity, and neural network activity as putative mechanisms of these rapid-acting antidepressants, highlighting differences on intracellular signaling pathways of synaptic proteins such as mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In addition, we discuss probable mechanisms involved in the side effects of ketamine and its enantiomers.

Exploring the link between adolescent inhalant misuse and suicidal behaviour: a behavioural toxicology perspective

Adolescent inhalant misuse has a known association with suicidal thoughts and behaviour. This association persists even after inhalant misuse has ceased. Previous studies have hypothesised that this association may derive from socioeconomic disadvantage or vulnerability, and potentially mediated by impulsivity. This association may also be due to the central nervous system depressant effects of inhalants. This review takes a behavioural toxicology perspective, focussed particularly on the serotonergic system and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, as potential links between adolescent inhalant misuse and suicidal behaviour. The challenges of bridging the pre-clinical and clinical literature in this area are discussed, along with promising avenues for future research; ultimately aimed at reducing suicide risk in a vulnerable adolescent population group.

The last two decades on preclinical and clinical research on inhalant effects

This paper reviews the scientific evidence generated in the last two decades on the effects and mechanisms of action of most commonly misused inhalants. In the first section, we define what inhalants are, how they are used, and their prevalence worldwide. The second section presents specific characteristics that define the main groups of inhalants: (a) organic solvents; (b) aerosols, gases, and volatile anesthetics; and (c) alkyl nitrites. We include a table with the molecular formula, structure, synonyms, uses, physicochemical properties and exposure limits of representative compounds within each group. The third and fourth sections review the direct acute and chronic effects of common inhalants on health and behavior with a summary of mechanisms of action, respectively. In the fifth section, we address inhalant intoxication signs and available treatment. The sixth section examines the health effects, intoxication, and treatment of nitrites. The seventh section reviews current intervention strategies. Finally, we propose a research agenda to promote the study of (a) solvents other than toluene; (b) inhalant mixtures; (c) effects in combination with other drugs of abuse; (d) age and (e) sex differences in inhalant effects; (f) the long-lasting behavioral effects of animals exposed in utero to inhalants; (g) abstinence signs and neurochemical changes after interrupting inhalant exposure; (h) brain networks involved in inhalant effects; and finally (i) strategies to promote recovery of inhalant users.

Increased behavioral and neuronal responses to a hallucinogenic drug after adolescent toluene exposure in mice: Effects of antipsychotic treatment

Toluene has been characterized as a non-classical hallucinogen drug through activation of 5-HT_2A receptors and antagonism of NMDA receptors. It remains unclear whether psychotic symptoms after long-term and intense toluene exposure are associated with abnormalities in 5-HT_2A receptor function. The present study examined whether the responses to a hallucinogenic 5-HT_2A receptor agonist 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) were altered in a mouse model of toluene psychosis. Male NMRI mice were subchronically treated with toluene during adolescence. Reciprocal social interaction test and novel object recognition test were conducted to confirm the persistent behavioral deficits in adulthood. Subsequently, DOI-induced head twitch, c-Fos and Egr-2 expression, field potentials in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and the levels of 5-HT_2A, 5-HT_1A and mGlu2 receptors in the mPFC were monitored. Toluene exposure during adolescence produced social and memory impairments and enhanced DOI-induced behavioral, molecular and electrophysiological responses, but did not change the levels of 5-HT_2A, 5-HT_1A or mGlu2 receptors in the mPFC. Moreover, the effects of haloperidol and risperidone on the behavioral deficits and hyper-responsiveness to DOI after adolescent toluene exposure were compared. When administered after adolescent toluene exposure, risperidone could reverse social withdrawal, cognitive impairment and hypersensitivity to DOI, whereas haloperidol was only beneficial for social withdrawal. These findings suggest that increased functionality of 5-HT_2A receptors may play a critical role in solvent-induced psychosis and recommend the antipsychotics with more selective 5-HT_2A receptor antagonism as the first-line treatment for solvent-induced psychosis.

Minocycline prevents neuronal hyperexcitability and neuroinflammation in medial prefrontal cortex, as well as memory impairment caused by repeated toluene inhalation in adolescent rats

Toluene can be intentionally misused by adolescents to experience psychoactive effects. Toluene has a complex mechanism of action and broad behavioral effects, among which memory impairment is reported consistently. We have previously reported that repeated toluene inhalation (8000 ppm) increases layer 5 prelimbic pyramidal cells' excitability in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of adolescent rats. Toluene also produces reactive oxygen species (ROS), which activate glial cells. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the anti-inflammatory agent minocycline would decrease toluene's effects because it inhibits NF-κB (nuclear factor enhancer of the kappa light chains of activated B cells) and reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine and ROS production. Our results show that minocycline (50 mg/kg, ip, for 10 days) prevents the hyperexcitability of mPFC neurons observed after repeated 8000 ppm toluene exposure (30 min/day, 2×/day for 10 days). Minocycline prevents toluene-induced hyperexcitability by a mechanism that averts the loss of the slow calcium-dependent potassium current, and normalizes mPFC neurons' firing frequency. These effects are accompanied by significant decreased expression of astrocytes and activated microglia in the mPFC, reduced NLRP3 inflammasome activation and mRNA expression levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 1β (IL-1β), as well as increased mRNA expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). Minocycline also prevents toluene-induced memory impairment in adolescent rats in the passive avoidance task and the temporal order memory test in which the mPFC plays a central role. These results show that neuroinflammation produces several effects of repeated toluene administration at high concentrations, and minocycline can significantly prevent them.

Intense olfactory stimulation blocks seizures in an experimental model of epilepsy

There are reports of patients whose epileptic seizures are prevented by means of olfactory stimulation. Similar findings were described in animal models of epilepsy, such as the electrical kindling of amygdala, where olfactory stimulation with toluene (TOL) suppressed seizures in most rats, even when the stimuli were 20% above the threshold to evoke seizures in already kindled animals. The Wistar Audiogenic Rat (WAR) strain is a model of tonic-clonic seizures induced by acute acoustic stimulation, although it also expresses limbic seizures when repeated acoustic stimulation occurs - a process known as audiogenic kindling (AK). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether or not the olfactory stimulation with TOL would interfere on the behavioral expression of brainstem (acute) and limbic (chronic) seizures in the WAR strain. For this, animals were exposed to TOL or saline (SAL) and subsequently exposed to acoustic stimulation in two conditions that generated: I) acute audiogenic seizures (only one acoustic stimulus, without previous seizure experience before of the odor test) and II) after AK (20 acoustic stimuli [2 daily] before of the protocol test). We observed a decrease in the seizure severity index of animals exposed only to TOL in both conditions, with TOL presented 20s before the acoustic stimulation in both protocols. These findings were confirmed by behavioral sequential analysis (neuroethology), which clearly indicated an exacerbation of clusters of specific behaviors such as exploration and grooming (self-cleaning), as well as significant decrease in the expression of brainstem and limbic seizures in response to TOL. Thus, these data demonstrate that TOL, a strong olfactory stimulus, has anticonvulsant properties, detected by the decrease of acute and AK seizures in WARs.

Toluene exposure enhances acute and chronic formalin-induced nociception in rats: Participation of 5-HT3 receptors

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of acute toluene exposure on formalin (0.5% and 1%)-induced acute and long-lasting nociceptive hypersensitivity in rats. In addition, we sought to investigate the role of peripheral 5-HT₃ receptors in the pronociceptive effect of toluene. Toluene exposure (6000ppm) for 30min enhanced 0.5% or 1% formalin-induced acute nociception and long-lasting secondary allodynia and hyperalgesia. In contrast, exposition to toluene for 30min in rats previously injected (six days before) with 1% formalin did not affect long-lasting hypersensitivy. Local peripheral pre-treatment with alosetron (5-HT₃ receptor antagonist, 10-100 nmol) reduced the pronociceptive effect of toluene in acute nociception and long-lasting secondary allodynia and hyperalgesia. Alosetron (100nmol) was also able to reduce the nociceptive effects of 1% formalin in absence of toluene. Moreover, local peripheral injection of m-CPBG (5-HT₃ receptor agonist, 300 nmol) enhanced 0.5% formalin-induced acute and long-lasting nociception in air- and toluene-exposed rats. Alosetron (10nmol) blocked the pronociceptive effects of m-CPBG (300nmol) on 0.5% formalin-induced acute and long-lasting hypersensitivity in rats exposed to toluene. Alosetron (at 10nmol) did not modify formalin-induced nociceptive behaviors. Finally, local peripheral pre-treatment with methiothepin (non-selective 5-HT receptor antagonist, 1.5nmol), did not affect the pronociceptive effect of toluene on 1% formalin-induced acute and long-lasting hypersensitivity. Our data demonstrate that acute exposure to toluene has pronociceptive effects in formalin-induced acute nociception and long-lasting hypersensitivity. Our data suggest that this pronociceptive effect depend on activation of peripheral 5-HT₃, but not methiothepin-sensitive 5-HT, receptors.