INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE STEREOCHEMICAL AND GLUTAMATERGIC MECHANISMS OF THE "BATH SALTS" SYNTHETIC CATHINONES MEPHEDRONE AND MDPV IN RATS
type: CreativeWork
description: Synthetic cathinones, commonly referred to as “bath salts”, are a subgroup of novel psychoactive substances that have seen a dramatic rise in abuse worldwide over the past decade. These compounds are synthesized by clandestine drug manufacturers using basic medicinal chemistry techniques, and marketed as “legal high” alternatives to illicit psychostimulants (ie. cocaine and MDMA). Two of the most common synthetic cathinones since the emergence of this class of drugs are 4-methylmethcathinone (mephedrone, MEPH) and 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV). The novelty of these compounds in the illicit drug marketplace has limited the current understanding of synthetic cathinone neuropharmacology. Our studies, as outlined in this dissertation, aimed to further characterize the neuropharmacology of MEPH and MDPV, specifically evaluating the contributions of stereospecific mechanisms in the monoaminergic systems, as well as the role of the glutamatergic system in mitigating reward, reinforcement, and relapse to drug seeking. We first evaluated MEPH’s ability to produce behavioral sensitization (detailed in Chapter 2), a hallmark behavior of psychostimulants involving repeated, intermittent drug administration, followed by a period of drug abstinence, and a subsequent drug challenge. This evaluation of MEPH’s ability to produce behavioral sensitization was conducted across multiple treatment and dosing paradigms, withdrawal time point intervals, and drug administration contexts. A 7-day, variable-dose administration paradigm (Days 1+7= 15 mg/kg, Days 2-6= 30 mg/kg) and a 5-day, constant-dose administration paradigm (15 mg/kg) both induced enhancement of repetitive movements (i.e. stereotypy), but not ambulatory activity, during a challenge dose following 10 days of drug abstinence. Additionally, with the 7-day variable-dose design, sensitization of repetitive movements was observed following a shorter (2-day) abstinence interval, and before the initiation of MEPH abstinence…
abstract: Synthetic cathinones, commonly referred to as “bath salts”, are a subgroup of novel psychoactive substances that have seen a dramatic rise in abuse worldwide over the past decade. These compounds are synthesized by clandestine drug manufacturers using basic medicinal chemistry techniques, and marketed as “legal high” alternatives to illicit psychostimulants (ie. cocaine and MDMA). Two of the most common synthetic cathinones since the emergence of this class of drugs are 4-methylmethcathinone (mephedrone, MEPH) and 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV). The novelty of these compounds in the illicit drug marketplace has limited the current understanding of synthetic cathinone neuropharmacology. Our studies, as outlined in this dissertation, aimed to further characterize the neuropharmacology of MEPH and MDPV, specifically evaluating the contributions of stereospecific mechanisms in the monoaminergic systems, as well as the role of the glutamatergic system in mitigating reward, reinforcement, and relapse to drug seeking. We first evaluated MEPH’s ability to produce behavioral sensitization (detailed in Chapter 2), a hallmark behavior of psychostimulants involving repeated, intermittent drug administration, followed by a period of drug abstinence, and a subsequent drug challenge. This evaluation of MEPH’s ability to produce behavioral sensitization was conducted across multiple treatment and dosing paradigms, withdrawal time point intervals, and drug administration contexts. A 7-day, variable-dose administration paradigm (Days 1+7= 15 mg/kg, Days 2-6= 30 mg/kg) and a 5-day, constant-dose administration paradigm (15 mg/kg) both induced enhancement of repetitive movements (i.e. stereotypy), but not ambulatory activity, during a challenge dose following 10 days of drug abstinence. Additionally, with the 7-day variable-dose design, sensitization of repetitive movements was observed following a shorter (2-day) abstinence interval, and before the initiation of MEPH abstinence…
author: Gregg, Ryan Alexander
language: eng
keywords: Pharmacology, Neurosciences, Medicine, Addiction, Glutamate, MDPV, Mephedrone, Stereochemistry, Synthetic cathinones
license: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
date published: 2015
date modified: 2026-07-27T21:19:51Z
provider: Temple University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Temple University. Libraries

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property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12613/2953