Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior
June 30, 2026
Lucie Ladislavová, Viera Kútna, Kristýna Mazochová et al.
Psilocin (4-hydroxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine) is a substituted tryptamine alkaloid and a nonselective serotonergic agonist acting predominantly at 5-HT2A/C receptors, with substantial binding to 5-HT1A and 5-HT2B receptors. Microdosing is the practice of taking a very small, sub-perceptual dose, typically 5% to 10% of a full recreational dose, to improve mood, creativity, and focus without...
European Journal of Pharmacology
July 15, 2025
Isis Koutrouli, Kristýna Mazochová, Rachel R. Horsley
4 citations
Depression affects hundreds of millions globally, and in 2019, esketamine, an S-enantiomer of ketamine, was approved for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). While effective, esketamine carries risks, including abuse potential and adverse effects even at low doses. As a result, ketamine's metabolite, (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine ((2R,6R)-HNK), has garnered attention for its potential...
British Journal of Pharmacology
2022
Kristýna Štefková-mazochová, Hynek Danda, Wim Dehaen et al.
13 citations
Deschloroketamine (DCK), a structural analogue of ketamine, has recently emerged on the illicit drug market as a recreational drug with a modestly long duration of action. Despite it being widely used by recreational users, no systematic research on its effects has been performed to date. Pharmacokinetics, acute effects, and addictive potential in a series of behavioural tests in Wistar rats...
Addiction Biology
May 7, 2020
Nikola Pinterová, Rachel R. Horsley, Hynek Danda et al.
13 citations
Naphthylpyrovalerone (naphyrone) is a pyrovalerone cathinone that potently inhibits monoamine transporters and provides stimulatory-entactogenic effects. Little is known about the safety of naphyrone or its effects in vivo, and more research is needed to acquire knowledge about its fundamental effects on physiology and behaviour. Our objective was to investigate naphyrone's pharmacokinetics,...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
April 24, 2018
Rachel R. Horsley, Eva Lhotková, Kateřina Hájková et al.
20 citations
3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is a potent pyrovalerone cathinone that is substituted for amphetamines by recreational users. We report a comprehensive and detailed description of the effects of subcutaneous MDPV (1-4 mg/kg) on pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and metabolism, acute effects on thermoregulation under isolated and aggregated conditions, locomotion (open field) and sensory...
Behavioural Pharmacology
March 13, 2018
Rachel R. Horsley, Tomáš Páleníček, Jan Kolin et al.
52 citations
Short-term moderate doses of serotonergic and dissociative hallucinogens can be useful in the treatment of anxiety. Recently, a trend has developed for long-term intermittent 'microdosing' (usually one-tenth of a 'full' active dose), with reports of long-lasting relief from anxiety and related disorders; however, there is no scientific evidence for the efficacy of therapeutic microdosing nor to...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
January 10, 2018
Klára Šíchová, Nikola Pinterová, Monika Židková et al.
28 citations
Mephedrone (MEPH) is a synthetic cathinone derivative with effects that mimic MDMA and/or cocaine. Our study in male Wistar rats provides detailed investigations of MEPH's and its primary metabolite nor-mephedrone's (nor-MEPH) pharmacokinetics and bio-distribution to four different substrates (serum, brain, lungs, and liver), as well as comparative analysis of their effects on locomotion [open...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
November 17, 2017
Kristýna Štefková, Monika Židková, Rachel R. Horsley et al.
82 citations
-methylcathinone) is a synthetic cathinone analog of the recreational drug ecstasy. Although it is marketed to recreational users as relatively safe, fatalities due to hyperthermia, serotonin syndrome, and multi-organ system failure have been reported. Since psychopharmacological data remain scarce, we have focused our research on pharmacokinetics, and on a detailed evaluation of temporal...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
November 17, 2017
Nikola Pinterová, Rachel R. Horsley, Tomáš Páleníček
37 citations
Objectives: Aminoindanes (“bath salts”, a class of novel psychoactive substances, NPSs) increased rapidly in popularity on the recreational drug market, particularly after mephedrone and other synthetic cathinones were banned in the UK in 2010. Novel aminoindanes continue to emerge, but relatively little is known about their effects and risks. Their history, chemistry, pharmacology, behavioural...
Brain Research Bulletin
May 4, 2016
Rachel R. Horsley, Eva Lhotková, Kateřina Hájková et al.
38 citations
Methoxetamine (MXE) is a novel psychoactive compound (NPS) that emerged in 2010 as a substitute for the dissociative anaesthetic ketamine. MXE has a reputation of carrying a lower risk of harm than ketamine, however a number of deaths have been reported. Currently very little is known about the psychopharmacological effects of this compound or its toxicity; therefore we tested, in Wistar rats,...