Role of amino terminal substitutions in the pharmacological, rewarding and psychostimulant profiles of novel synthetic cathinones

The emergence of new synthetic cathinones continues to be a matter of public health concern. In fact, they are quickly replaced by new structurally related alternatives. The main goal of the present study was to characterize the pharmacological profile, the psychostimulant and rewarding properties of novel cathinones (pentedrone, N-ethyl-pentedrone, α-PVP, N,N-diethyl-pentedrone and α-PpVP) which only differs in their amino terminal substitution. Rat synaptosomes were used for [³H]dopamine uptake experiments. HEK293 transfected cells (hDAT, hSERT, hOCT; human dopamine, serotonin and organic cation transporter) were also used for [³H]monoamine uptake and transporter binding assays. Molecular docking was used to investigate the effect of the amino substitutions on the biological activity. Hyperlocomotion and conditioned place preference paradigm were used in order to study the psychostimulant and rewarding effects in mice. All compounds tested are potent inhibitors of DAT with very low affinity for SERT, hOCT-2 and -3, and their potency for inhibiting DAT increased when the amino-substituent expanded from a methyl to either an ethyl-, a pyrrolidine- or a piperidine-ring. Regarding the in vivo results, all the compounds induced an increase in locomotor activity and possess rewarding properties. Results also showed a significant correlation between predicted binding affinities by molecular docking and affinity constants (Ki) for hDAT as well as the cLogP of their amino-substituent with their hDAT/hSERT ratios. Our study demonstrates the role of the amino-substituent in the pharmacological profile of novel synthetic cathinones as well as their potency inhibiting DA uptake and ability to induce psychostimulant and rewarding effects in mice.

Neuroadaptive changes and behavioral effects after a sensitization regime of MDPV

3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is a synthetic cathinone with cocaine-like properties. In a previous work, we exposed adolescent mice to MDPV, finding sensitization to cocaine effects, and a higher vulnerability to cocaine abuse in adulthood. Here we sought to determine if such MDPV schedule induces additional behavioral-neuronal changes that could explain such results. After MDPV treatment (1.5 mg kg^-1, twice daily, 7 days), mice were behaviorally tested. Also, we investigated protein changes in various brain regions. MDPV induced aggressiveness and anxiety, but also contributed to a faster habituation to the open field. This feature co-occurred with an induction of ΔFosB in the orbitofrontal cortex that was higher than its expression in the ventral striatum. Early after treatment, D2R:D1R ratio pointed to a preponderance of D1R but, upon withdrawal, the ratio recovered. Increased expression of Arc, CDK5 and TH, and decrease in DAT protein levels persisted longer after withdrawal, pointing to a neuroplastic lasting effect similar to that involved in cocaine addiction. The implication of the hyperdopaminergic condition in the MDPV-induced aggressiveness cannot be ruled out. We also found an initial oxidative effect of MDPV, without glial activation. Moreover, although initially the dopaminergic signal induced by MDPV resulted in increased ΔFosB, we did not observe any change in NFκB or GluA2 expression. Finally, the changes observed after MDPV treatment could not be explained according to the autoregulatory loop between ΔFosB and the epigenetic repressor G9a described for cocaine. This provides new knowledge about the neuroadaptive changes involved in the vulnerability to psychostimulant addiction.

Exposure of adolescent mice to 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone increases the psychostimulant, rewarding and reinforcing effects of cocaine in adulthood

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is a synthetic cathinone with powerful psychostimulant effects. It selectively inhibits the dopamine transporter (DAT) and is 10-50-fold more potent as a DAT blocker than cocaine, suggesting a high abuse liability. The main objective of the present study was to assess the consequences of an early (adolescence) MDPV exposure on the psychostimulant, rewarding and reinforcing effects induced by cocaine in adult mice.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Twenty-one days after MDPV pretreatment (1.5 mg·kg^-1 , s.c., twice daily for 7 days), adult mice were tested with cocaine, using locomotor activity, conditioned place preference and self-administration (SA) paradigms. In parallel, dopamine D₂ receptor density and the expression of c-Fos and ΔFosB in the striatum were determined.

KEY RESULTS

MDPV treatment enhanced the psychostimulant and conditioning effects of cocaine. Acquisition of cocaine SA was unchanged in mice pretreated with MDPV, whereas the breaking point achieved under a progressive ratio programme and reinstatement after extinction were higher in this group of mice. MDPV decreased D₂ receptor density but increased ΔFosB expression three-fold. As expected, acute cocaine increased c-Fos expression, but MDPV pretreatment negatively influenced its expression. ΔFosB accumulation declined during MDPV withdrawal, although it remained elevated in adult mice when tested for cocaine effects.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

MDPV exposure during adolescence induced long-lasting adaptive changes related to enhanced responsiveness to cocaine in the adult mice that seems to lead to a higher vulnerability to cocaine abuse. This particular behaviour correlated with increased expression of ΔFosB.