Lack of Evidence for Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV)‐Induced Persistent Dopaminergic or Serotonergic Deficits: Comparison with Methamphetamine and Mephedrone

Abstract

β‐Ketoamphetamines such as methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and mephedrone (MEPH) are synthetic cathinones with a structural similarity to methamphetamine (METH) that may account for some similarities in behavioral effects. However, the persistent effects of repeated high‐dose MDPV exposures on striatal dopaminergic and hippocampal serotonergic systems remain to be fully elucidated. Accordingly, the persistent effects of repeated high‐dose MPDV administrations were investigated. Results revealed that MDPV treatment did not alter striatal dopaminergic or hippocampal serotonergic systems as assessed 7 days later in synaptosomes prepared from treated rats. Further, MDPV did not alter hippocampal serotonin or 5‐hydroxyindoleacetic acid content at this time point. These data stand in contrast to our previous report that repeated high‐dose MEPH administrations cause persistent hippocampal serotonergic deficits. These data also stand in contrast to effects of repeated high‐dose METH administrations that include persistent striatal dopaminergic and hippocampal serotonergic deficits. Noteworthy, in these studies MDPV did not induce hyperthermia to the degree reported in previous studies of MEPH and METH. Further, the impact of MDPV on the dopamine transporter and vesicular monoamine transporter‐2 appears distinct from that of MEPH and METH. Taken together, these latter findings may contribute to the differential impact of MDPV, MEPH, and METH on dopaminergic and serotonergic systems.Support or Funding InformationDA039145 and DA031883This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.