25I-NBOMe, a phenethylamine derivative, induces adverse cardiovascular effects in rodents: possible involvement of p21 (CDC42/RAC)-activated kinase 1
Drug and chemical toxicology (New York, N.Y. 1978) June 29, 2020 K. S. Yoon, Sun Mi Gu, Hye Jin Cha et al.
The psychoactive substance 25I-NBOMe, a phenethylamine analog, is toxic to heart muscle cells and can disrupt normal heart electrical activity in rats. In laboratory tests, the compound reduced the viability of rat heart cells in a dose-dependent manner, with a half-maximal toxic concentration of 70.4 μM. It also lowered the activity of the protein PAK1, which plays a key role in cardiovascular function. When injected into rats at doses of 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg, 25I-NBOMe prolonged the QTc interval on electrocardiograms, an abnormal pattern linked to risk of dangerous heart rhythms. The findings suggest that 25I-NBOMe's cardiotoxicity involves PAK1-related pathways.