The novel psychoactive substance (NPS) phenomenon represents a major global problem. Despite the methodical inclusion of new analogues in lists of controlled drugs, new compounds continue to circulate, frequently resulting in fatal intoxications. The emergence of N-isopropyl butylone (NiPB) in 2024, found as an adulterant in methamphetamine-based products, underscores the rapidly evolving...
Cumulative reports of psychiatric and neurological outcomes due to synthetic cathinones continue to raise public concern. However, the understanding of the neurotoxic mechanism of action is still poorly understood, particularly for the under-explored αPHP, one of the main MDPV derivatives. In particular, the effects of this synthetic drug on neural stem/progenitor cell cultures are still...
In the last years, Synthetic Cannabinoids (SCBs) have established themselves as one of the largest and most popular groups of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS), being frequently detected in biological samples of patients involved in intoxication and death cases. To date, compelling evidence on the potential interaction between SCBs and non-cannabinoid neurotransmission systems has emerged,...
3-chloromethcathinone (3-CMC) is a synthetic cathinone that gained relevance, having been involved in a large number of seizures and poisoning reports. Despite this, literature currently lacks information on its pharmaco-toxicological effects. This study aims to investigate the acute sensorimotor and physiological effects of 3-CMC (0.1-30 mg/kg; i.p.) in male and female CD-1 mice and its...
25I-NBOMe (4-Iodo-2,5-dimethoxy-N-(2-methoxybenzyl) phenethylamine) is a synthetic psychedelic compound abused for its ambiguous legal state as a counterfeit lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). 25I-NBOMe acts as a selective agonist of 5HT2A receptors leading to hallucinations, intoxications, and fatalities. Here, we assessed the rewarding properties of 25I-NBOMe and its behavioral and neurotoxic...
The 5-methoxy-N-methyl-N-isopropyltryptamine (5-MeO-MiPT, known online as "Moxy") is a new psychedelic tryptamine first identified on Italian national territory in 2014. Its hallucinogen effects are broadly well-known; however, only few information is available regarding its pharmaco-toxicological effects. Following the seizure of this new psychoactive substances by the Arm of Carabinieri and...