Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone) is a cathinone derivative that is recreationally consumed for its energizing and empathogenic effects. The stimulating properties are believed to arise from the ability of mephedrone to interact with the high-affinity transporters for dopamine (DA) (DAT) and norepinephrine (NET), whereas the entactogenic effect presumably relies on its activity at the...
The consumption of psychoactive substances is inextricably linked with human history. Longstanding evidence supports the consumption of psychoactive substances that are found in plants and fungi (e.g. cathinone and muscimol, which are present in Catha edulis and Amanita muscaria, respectively) and alcoholic beverages. With the advent of more refined chemical approaches, isolated (e.g. cocaine)...
Aminorex (5-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1,3-oxazol-2-amine) and 4-methylaminorex (4-methyl-5-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1,3-oxazol-2-amine) are psychostimulants that have long been listed in Schedules IV and I of the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971. However, a range of psychoactive analogues exist that are not internationally controlled and therefore often classified as new psychoactive...
Synthetic cathinone derivatives are a new class of psychoactive substances (NPS), also known as “bath salts”, designed to exert psychostimulant effects resembling those of well-known psychostimulants, such as cocaine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”). As major constituents of bath salts, the cathinone derivatives 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and...
(±)-cis-4,4′-Dimethylaminorex (4,4′-DMAR) is a new psychoactive substance (NPS) that has been associated with 31 fatalities and other adverse events in Europe between June 2013 and February 2014. We used in vitro uptake inhibition and transporter release assays to determine the effects of 4,4′-DMAR on human high-affinity transporters for dopamine (DAT), norepinephrine (NET) and serotonin...
A variety of new psychoactive substances (NPS) are appearing in recreational drug markets worldwide. NPS are compounds that target various receptors and transporters in the central nervous system to achieve their psychoactive effects. Chemical modifications of existing drugs can generate NPS that are not controlled by current legislation, thereby providing legal alternatives to controlled...