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European Neuropsychopharmacology : the... Jun 20223,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) is a psychoactive compound chemically related to the entactogen MDMA. MDA shares some of the entactogenic effects of MDMA but also...
3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) is a psychoactive compound chemically related to the entactogen MDMA. MDA shares some of the entactogenic effects of MDMA but also exerts stimulant effects and psychedelic properties at higher doses. Here, we examined the pharmacological properties of MDA analogs and related amphetamine-based compounds detected in street drug samples or in sport supplements. We examined the key pharmacological mechanisms including monoamine uptake inhibition and release using human embryonic kidney 293 cells stably transfected with the respective human transporters. Additionally, we assessed monoamine transporter and receptor binding and activation properties. MDA, its fluorinated analogs, as well as the α-ethyl containing BDB and the dimeric amphetamine DPIA inhibited NET with the greatest potency and preferentially inhibited 5-HT vs. dopamine uptake. The β‑methoxy MDA analog 3C-BOH and the amphetamine-based N,α-DEPEA inhibited NET and preferentially inhibited dopamine vs. 5-HT uptake. The test drugs mediated efflux of at least one monoamine with the exception of DPIA. Most compounds bound to 5-HT and 5-HT receptors (K ≤ 10 µM) and several substances activated the 5-HT and 5-HT receptor as partial or full agonists. Furthermore, several compounds interacted with adrenergic receptors and the trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) in the micromolar range. The pharmacological profiles of some fluorinated and nonfluorinated MDA analogs resemble the profile of MDMA. In contrast, 3C-BOH and N,α-DEPEA displayed more pronounced dopaminergic activity similar to amphetamine. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics studies are necessary to better establish the risks and therapeutic potential of the tested drugs.
Topics: 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine; Amphetamine; Carrier Proteins; Dopamine; Humans; Methamphetamine; N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; Serotonin
PubMed: 35378384
DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.03.006 -
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Aug 2023Recently, illicit drug use has become more widespread and is linked to problems with crime and public health. These drugs disrupt consciousness, affecting perceptions...
Recently, illicit drug use has become more widespread and is linked to problems with crime and public health. These drugs disrupt consciousness, affecting perceptions and feelings. Combining stimulants and depressants to suppress the effect of drugs has become the most common reason for drug overdose deaths. On-site platforms for illicit-drug detection have gained an important role in dealing, without any excess equipment, long process, and training, with drug abuse and drug trafficking. Consequently, the development of rapid, sensitive, noninvasive, and reliable multiplex drug-detecting platforms has become a major necessity. In this study, a multiplex laser-scribed graphene (LSG) sensing platform with one counter, one reference, and three working electrodes was developed for rapid and sensitive electrochemical detection of amphetamine (AMP), cocaine (COC), and benzodiazepine (BZD) simultaneously in saliva samples. The multidetection sensing system was combined with a custom-made potentiostat to achieve a complete point-of-care (POC) platform. Smartphone integration was achieved by a customized application to operate, display, and send data. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first multiplex LSG-based electrochemical platform designed for illicit-drug detection with a custom-made potentiostat device to build a complete POC platform. Each working electrode was optimized with standard solutions of AMP, COC, and BZD in the concentration range of 1.0 pg/mL-500 ng/mL. The detection limit of each illicit drug was calculated as 4.3 ng/mL for AMP, 9.7 ng/mL for BZD, and 9.0 ng/mL for COC. Healthy and MET (methamphetamine) patient saliva samples were used for the clinical study. The multiplex LSG sensor was able to detect target analytes in real saliva samples successfully. This multiplex detection device serves the role of a practical and affordable alternative to conventional drug-detection methods by combining multiple drug detections in one portable platform.
Topics: Humans; Point-of-Care Systems; Drug Monitoring; Methamphetamine; Central Nervous System Stimulants; Cocaine; Illicit Drugs
PubMed: 37499237
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c06461 -
Nature Medicine Oct 2021
Topics: Benchmarking; Humans; N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; Psychotherapy; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
PubMed: 34635857
DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01525-0 -
Neuropsychopharmacology : Official... Jan 2021
Topics: Animals; Methamphetamine; Oxytocin; Rats; Self Administration; Vagus Nerve
PubMed: 32572151
DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0742-8 -
Journal of Child and Adolescent... Mar 2022To evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) in preschool-aged children (4-5 years of age inclusive) diagnosed with...
To evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) in preschool-aged children (4-5 years of age inclusive) diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This phase 3 open-label study (ClinicalTrials.gov registry: NCT02466386) enrolled children aged 4-5 years meeting () criteria for a primary ADHD diagnosis and having baseline ADHD Rating Scale-IV Preschool version total scores (ADHD-RS-IV-PS-TS) ≥24 for girls or ≥28 for boys and baseline Clinical Global Impressions-Severity scores ≥4. Participants were directly enrolled or enrolled after completing one of two antecedent short-term LDX studies. Over 52 weeks of treatment, participants received once-daily dose-optimized LDX (5-30 mg). Safety and tolerability assessments included treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and vital sign changes. Clinical outcomes included ADHD-RS-IV-PS-TS changes from baseline. Among 113 participants in the safety set, optimized LDX dose was 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 mg in 1 (0.9%), 12 (10.6%), 21 (18.6%), 26 (23.0%), and 53 (46.9%) participants, respectively. Of the safety set, 69 participants (61.1%) completed the study. TEAEs were reported in 76.1% of participants; no serious TEAEs were reported. Only one type of TEAE was reported in >10% of participants (decreased appetite, 15.9%). Mean ± standard deviation (SD) changes in vital signs and body weight from baseline to week 52/or early termination (ET; = 101) were 1.9 ± 7.73 mmHg for systolic blood pressure, 3.1 ± 7.58 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure, 4.7 ± 11.00 bpm for pulse, and 0.6 ± 1.38 kg for body weight. Over the course of the study, mean ± SD change in ADHD-RS-IV-PS-TS from baseline to week 52/ET was -24.2 ± 13.34 ( = 87). In this long-term 52-week study of children aged 4-5 years with ADHD, dose-optimized LDX (5-30 mg) was well tolerated and associated with reductions from baseline in ADHD symptoms.
Topics: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Central Nervous System Stimulants; Child, Preschool; Dextroamphetamine; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate; Male; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 35230142
DOI: 10.1089/cap.2021.0138 -
Reviews in Endocrine & Metabolic... Dec 2021Obesity is a major public health problem worldwide. Only relatively few treatment options are, at present, available for the management of obese patients. Furthermore,... (Review)
Review
Obesity is a major public health problem worldwide. Only relatively few treatment options are, at present, available for the management of obese patients. Furthermore, treatment of obesity is affected by the widespread misuse of drugs and food supplements. Ephedra sinica is an old medicinal herb, commonly used in the treatment of respiratory tract diseases. Ephedra species contain several alkaloids, including pseudoephedrine, notably endowed with indirect sympathomimetic pharmacodynamic properties. The anorexigenic effect of pseudoephedrine is attributable primarily to the inhibition of neurons located in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), mediating satiety stimuli. Pseudoephedrine influences lipolysis and thermogenesis through interaction with β3 adrenergic receptors and reduces fat accumulation through down-regulation of transcription factors related to lipogenesis. However, its use is associated with adverse events that involve to a large extent the cardiovascular and the central nervous system. Adverse events of pseudoephedrine also affect the eye, the intestine, and the skin, and, of relevance, sudden cardiovascular death related to dietary supplements containing Ephedra alkaloids has also been reported. In light of the limited availability of clinical data on pseudoephedrine in obesity, along with its significantly unbalanced risk/benefit profile, as well as of the psychophysical susceptibility of obese patients, it appears reasonable to preclude the prescription of pseudoephedrine in obese patients of any order and degree.
Topics: Alkaloids; Ephedra sinica; Ephedrine; Humans; Obesity; Pseudoephedrine
PubMed: 33945051
DOI: 10.1007/s11154-021-09658-w -
Parasites & Vectors Jun 2020Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected disease that affects ~7 million people worldwide. Development of new drugs to treat the...
BACKGROUND
Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected disease that affects ~7 million people worldwide. Development of new drugs to treat the infection remains a priority since those currently available have frequent side effects and limited efficacy at the chronic stage. Natural products provide a pool of diversity structures to lead the chemical synthesis of novel molecules for this purpose. Herein we analyzed the anti-T. cruzi activity of nine alkaloids derived from plants of the family Amaryllidaceae.
METHODS
The activity of each alkaloid was assessed by means of an anti-T. cruzi phenotypic assay. We further evaluated the compounds that inhibited parasite growth on two distinct cytotoxicity assays to discard those that were toxic to host cells and assure parasite selectivity.
RESULTS
We identified a single compound (hippeastrine) that was selectively active against the parasite yielding selectivity indexes of 12.7 and 35.2 against Vero and HepG2 cells, respectively. Moreover, it showed specific activity against the amastigote stage (IC = 3.31 μM).
CONCLUSIONS
Results reported here suggest that natural products are an interesting source of new compounds for the development of drugs against Chagas disease.
Topics: Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids; Animals; Chlorocebus aethiops; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Phytochemicals; Trypanocidal Agents; Trypanosoma cruzi; Vero Cells
PubMed: 32522289
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04171-6 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2020Amaryllidaceae are bulbous wild and cultivated plants well known for their beautiful flowers and pharmaceutical applications, essentially due to the alkaloids and... (Review)
Review
Amaryllidaceae are bulbous wild and cultivated plants well known for their beautiful flowers and pharmaceutical applications, essentially due to the alkaloids and flavonoids content. Hundreds of alkaloids have been isolated until now and several scientific publications reported their sources, chemical structures, and biological activities. During the last decade, some unstudied Amaryllidaceae plants were the object of in-depth investigations to isolate and chemically and biologically characterize new and already known alkaloids as well as some analogues. This review describes the isolation and chemical and biological characterization of the Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, and their analogues obtained in the last decade, focusing the discussion on the new ones.
Topics: Amaryllidaceae; Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids; Medicine, Traditional; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Plant Roots; Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 33260413
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25235621 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Jun 2022We investigated the protective effects of ephedra herb (HEPH) on adriamycin-induced testicular toxicity in rats and explored the potential mechanisms underlying these...
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the protective effects of ephedra herb (HEPH) on adriamycin-induced testicular toxicity in rats and explored the potential mechanisms underlying these effects.
METHODS
A rat model of adriamycin injury was established, and sperm motility-related indicator and oxidative stress levels in the testis were evaluated. Serum levels of sex hormones and levels of testicular cell apoptosis were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Western blotting (WB), immunofluorescence analyses, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were performed to evaluate the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) signalling pathway- and meiosis-related genes and proteins. In subsequent in vitro experiments, adriamycin was used to stimulate GC-1 cells, which were treated with HEPH, ephedrine, or pseudoephedrine. Cell viability was assessed using flow cytometry to detect apoptosis and reactive oxygen species, whereas the GnRH signalling pathway and levels of meiosis-related genes and proteins were evaluated by InCell WB, a high-content imaging system, and RT-PCR.
RESULTS
Per in vivo experiments, HEPH restored testicular weight and function, sperm characteristics, serum and tissue hormonal levels, and antioxidant defences and significantly activated the GnRH signalling pathway- and meiosis-related protein levels. All protective effects of HEPH against adriamycin-induced injury were antagonised by the GnRH antagonist cetrorelix. In vitro, HEPH, ephedrine, and pseudoephedrine significantly reduced adriamycin-induced GC-1 cell apoptosis and reactive oxygen species levels and increased the expression of GnRH signalling pathway- and meiosis-related proteins. The effect of pseudoephedrine was greater than that of ephedrine, and these findings may be an important basis for understanding the effects of HEPH.
Topics: Animals; Doxorubicin; Ephedra; Ephedrine; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; Male; Pseudoephedrine; Rats; Reactive Oxygen Species; Sperm Motility; Testis
PubMed: 35658231
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113061 -
Biological Psychiatry. Cognitive... Sep 2022Patients with psychotic disorders present alterations in thalamocortical intrinsic functional connectivity as measured by resting-state functional magnetic resonance...
BACKGROUND
Patients with psychotic disorders present alterations in thalamocortical intrinsic functional connectivity as measured by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Specifically, thalamic intrinsic functional connectivity is increased with sensorimotor cortices (hyperconnectivity) and decreased with prefrontal limbic cortices (hypoconnectivity). Psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethlyamide (LSD) elicit similar thalamocortical hyperconnectivity with sensorimotor areas in healthy volunteers. It is unclear whether LSD also induces thalamocortical hypoconnectivity with prefrontal limbic cortices, because current findings are equivocal. Thalamocortical hyperconnectivity was associated with psychotic symptoms in patients and substance-induced altered states of consciousness in healthy volunteers. Thalamocortical dysconnectivity is likely evoked by altered neurotransmission, e.g., via dopaminergic excess in psychotic disorders and serotonergic agonism in psychedelic-induced states. It is unclear whether thalamocortical dysconnectivity is also elicited by amphetamine-type substances, broadly releasing monoamines (i.e., dopamine, norepinephrine) but producing fewer perceptual effects than psychedelics.
METHODS
We administrated LSD, d-amphetamine, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in 28 healthy volunteers and investigated their effects on thalamic intrinsic functional connectivity with 2 brain networks (auditory-sensorimotor and salience networks, corresponding to sensorimotor and prefrontal limbic cortices, respectively), using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design.
RESULTS
All active substances elicited auditory-sensorimotor-thalamic hyperconnectivity compared with placebo, despite predominantly distinct pharmacological actions and subjective effects. LSD-induced effects correlated with subjective changes in perception, indicating a link between hyperconnectivity and psychedelic-type perceptual alterations. Unlike d-amphetamine and MDMA, which induced hypoconnectivity with the salience network, LSD elicited hyperconnectivity. D-amphetamine and MDMA evoked similar thalamocortical dysconnectivity patterns.
CONCLUSIONS
Psychedelics, empathogens, and psychostimulants evoke thalamocortical hyperconnectivity with sensorimotor areas, akin to findings in patients with psychotic disorders.
Topics: Cross-Over Studies; Dextroamphetamine; Double-Blind Method; Hallucinogens; Humans; Lysergic Acid; Lysergic Acid Diethylamide; N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
PubMed: 35500840
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.04.003