Neurochemical and Behavioral Profiling in Male and Female Rats of the Psychedelic Agent 25I-NBOMe.
Cristina Miliano, Matteo Marti, Nicholas Pintori, Maria Paola Castelli, Micaela Tirri, Raffaella Arfè, Maria Antonietta De Luca
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2019 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01406 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preclinical study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Male and female rats |
| Intervention | 25I-NBOMe |
| Topics | Serotonin |
| Keywords | Behavior Dopamine Novel psychoactive substances Sex differences |
| Key points | 25I-NBOMe affects dopamine transmission in the nucleus accumbens shell differently in male and female rats, impairs visual responses in both sexes, heavily affects core temperature in females, and exerts an analgesic effect prominent in males. |
Abstract
4-Iodo-2,5-dimethoxy-N-(2-methoxybenzyl)phenethylamine (25I-NBOMe), commonly called "N-Bomb," is a synthetic phenethylamine with psychedelic and entactogenic effects; it was available on the Internet both as a legal alternative to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and as a surrogate of 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), but now it has been scheduled among controlled substances. 25I-NBOMe acts as full agonist on serotonergic 5-HT2A receptors. Users are often unaware of ingesting fake LSD, and several cases of intoxication and fatalities have been reported. In humans, overdoses of "N-Bomb" can cause tachycardia, hypertension, seizures, and agitation. Preclinical studies have not yet widely investigated the rewarding properties and behavioral effects of this compound in both sexes. Therefore, by in vivo microdialysis, we evaluated the effects of 25I-NBOMe on dopaminergic (DA) and serotonergic (5-HT) transmissions in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell and core, and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of male and female rats. Moreover, we investigated the effect of 25I-NBOMe on sensorimotor modifications as well as body temperature, nociception, and startle/prepulse inhibition (PPI). We showed that administration of 25I-NBOMe affects DA transmission in the NAc shell in both sexes, although showing different patterns; moreover, this compound causes impaired visual responses in both sexes, whereas core temperature is heavily affected in females, and the highest dose tested exerts an analgesic effect prominent in male rats. Indeed, this drug is able to impair the startle amplitude with the same extent in both sexes and inhibits the PPI in male and female rats. Our study fills the gap of knowledge on the behavioral effects of 25I-NBOMe and the risks associated with its ingestion; it focuses the attention on sex differences that might be useful to understand the trend of consumption as well as to recognize and treat intoxication and overdose symptoms.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on serotonin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
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| Psilocybin induces rapid and persistent growth of dendritic spines in frontal cortex in vivo Mice | 2021 | Observational cohort | |
| Neurotoxicity of the psychedelic amphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Rats (implied by typical neurochemical study context) | 1987 | Experimental study | |
| Psychedelics promote neuroplasticity through the activation of intracellular 5-HT2A receptors In vitro and in vivo (rodent) models | 2023 | Experimental study | |
| 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine destroy serotonin terminals in rat brain: quantification of neurodegeneration by measurement of [3H]paroxetine-labeled serotonin uptake sites. Rat brain | 1987 | Animal experiment | |
| Comparison of the monoamine transporters from human and mouse in their sensitivities to psychostimulant drugs Human and mouse dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin transporters expressed in cells | 2006 | In vitro laboratory study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 36
- NBOMes–Highly Potent and Toxic Alternatives of LSD Frontiers in Neuroscience February 26, 2020
- Sex and Gender Differences in the Effects of Novel Psychoactive Substances. Brain Sciences September 3, 2020
- Differences across sexes on head-twitch behavior and 5-HT2A receptor signaling in C57BL/6J mice. Neuroscience Letters September 25, 2022
- Molecular and clinical aspects of potential neurotoxicity induced by new psychoactive stimulants and psychedelics Experimental Neurology June 4, 2021
- Neurochemical and Behavioral Effects of a New Hallucinogenic Compound 25B-NBOMe in Rats Neurotoxicity Research December 18, 2020
and 31 more in the library
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