Effects of subtoxic 3-methylmethcathinone concentrations on neuronal cell electrical properties

Abstract

Synthetic cathinones are commonly abused novel psychoactive substances (NPS) that are consumed alone or in combination with other psychoactive drugs via the oral, intranasal, or intravenous routes. These substances induce physiological and subjective effects typical of psychostimulant drugs, although with a faster onset and shorter duration when compared to amphetamine derivatives. A common consequence of their short half-lives and duration of effects, is repeated administration or bingeing that results in an increase in the number of associated deaths. New synthetic cathinones, now in the fourth generation, have increasing potency and toxicity as compared to those from previous generations. NPS may interfere with the electrical activity of the catecholaminergic neuron, causing damages to neuronal function. The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of 3-methylmethcathinone (3-MMC) on excitability of neuronal cells to identify mechanisms underlying its neurotoxicity. Functional techniques detecting neuronal electrical properties including Fura-2-video imaging and current clamp electrophysiology were applied to single neurons exposed to subtoxic 3-MMC concentrations. Changes in intracellular calcium homeostasis were correlated to neuronal electrical signals during exposure. Neuronal viability was measured in cells exposed to a large range of 3-MMC concentrations by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. This assay measures metabolic cell activity by detecting the conversion of the water-soluble yellow MTT dye to an insoluble purple formazan by active mitochondrial reductases. Formazan is solubilized and its concentration determined by optical density at 570 nm. Under conditions of neuronal toxicity, a significant change in metabolic activity is identified enabling detection of cell stress from exposure to a toxic agent. 3-MMC did not affect neuronal viability at 10–300 nM concentrations. Time-lapse experiments measuring intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) after membrane depolarization showed that 3-MMC prevented [Ca2+]i increases elicited by high K+. At the same time current-clamp experiments revealed that 3-MMC shifts membrane potential to more depolarized values at the same range of concentrations. Collectively, before inducing neurotoxicity, 3-MMC may interfere with the electrical properties of neuronal plasma membranes, thus, dysregulating [Ca2+]i homeostasis. 3-MMC interfered with membrane depolarization at subtoxic concentrations, suggesting the ability of this synthetic cathinone to modulate an as yet unknown voltage-dependent channel(s) at the neuronal level. Due to the lack of knowledge about mechanisms underlying 3-MMC neurotoxicity, investigation of putative targets may be useful for the treatment and/or prevention of its toxic effects in humans.