Behavioural and neurochemical effects after repeated administration of N-ethylpentylone (ephylone) in mice
Author
Espinosa Velasco, María
Reguilón, Marina D.
Bellot, Marina
Nadal Gratacós, Núria
Berzosa Rodríguez, Xavier
Puigseslloses, Pol
Gómez Canela, Cristian
Rodríguez Arias, Marta
Pubill Sánchez, David
Camarasa García, Jordi
Escubedo, Elena
López-Arnau, R.
Other authors
Universitat Ramon Llull. IQS
Publication date
2022ISSN
1471-4159
Abstract
N-ethyl-pentylone (NEP), also known as ‘ephylone’ and N-ethylnorpentylone, has been identified as one of the most recent novel psychostimulants to emerge into the illicit drug market and it has been associated with some intoxications and even fatalities. However, little is known about the consequences of its repeated consumption as well as the role of the monoaminergic system in such consequences. Thus, the aim of our study was to investigate the neurochemical profile and the behavioural effects after both acute and repeated NEP exposure. Male OF1 mice were acutely (1, 3, 10 mg/kg, i.p.) or repeatedly (1, 3, 10 mg/kg, i.p., 5 days, twice/day) exposed to NEP, and anxiety-like behaviour, aggressiveness, social interaction, depressive-like symptoms, body temperature, changes in monoaminergic enzymes and neurotransmitters levels as well as ΔFosB in striatum and prefrontal cortex (PFC) from post-mortem tissue were analysed short after drug-exposure or during drug-withdrawal. Acute administration of NEP induced anxiolytic effects but also an aggressive behaviour and social exploration deficits in mice, which persist during NEP-withdrawal. Moreover, NEP induced hyperthermia as well as depressive-like symptoms after repeated administrations that may be related to the decrease in serotonin and noradrenaline levels observed in striatum and PFC. Finally, the long-term increase in ΔFosB levels in striatum after NEP chronic exposure points to a high risk of dependence. Altogether indicates that NEP consumption induces different neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders accompanied by changes in the monoaminergic system, posing a threat to public health.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
615 - Pharmacology. Therapeutics. Toxicology
Keywords
Aggressive behaviour
Depressive-like symptoms
Ephylone
Monoamine levels
Synthetic cathinones
N-ethylpentylone
Pages
p.16
Publisher
Wiley
Is part of
Journal of Neurochemistry, 2022, 160(2), 218-233
Grant agreement number
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO i FEDER/PN I+D/SAF2016-75347-R
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MISAN/PNSD/2020I051
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MCI i FEDER/PN I+D/PID2019-109390RB-I00
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/SUR del DEC/SGR/2017-SGR-979
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
Rights
© L'autor/a
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/