title: The novel recreational drug 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is a potent psychomotor stimulant: self-administration and locomotor activity in rats.
abstract: Recreational use of the cathinone derivative 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV; "bath salts") has increased worldwide in past years, accompanied by accounts of health and legal problems in the popular media and efforts to criminalize possession in numerous jurisdictions. Minimal information exists on the effects of MDPV in laboratory models. This study determined the effects of MDPV, alongside those of the better studied stimulant d-methamphetamine (METH), using rodent models of intravenous self-administration (IVSA), thermoregulation and locomotor activity. Male Wistar rats were trained to self-administer MDPV or METH (0.05 mg/kg/infusion, i.v.) or were prepared with radiotelemetry implants for the assessment of body temperature and activity responses to MDPV or METH (0-5.6 mg/kg s.c.). METH and MDPV were consistently self-administered within 10 training sessions (mg/kg/h; METH Mean = 0.4 and Max = 1.15; MDPV Mean = 0.9 and Max = 5.8). Dose-substitution studies demonstrated that behavior was sensitive to dose for both drugs, but MDPV (0.01-0.50 mg/kg/inf) showed greater potency and efficacy than METH (0.1-0.25 mg/kg/inf). In addition, both MDPV and METH increased locomotor activity at lower doses (0.5-1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) and transiently decreased activity at the highest dose (5.6 mg/kg, s.c.). Body temperature increased monotonically with increasing doses of METH but MDPV had a negligible effect on temperature. Stereotypy was associated with relatively high self-administered cumulative doses of MDPV (∼1.5 mg/kg/h) as well as with non-contingent MDPV administration wherein the intensity and duration of stereotypy increased as MDPV dose increased. Thus, MDPV poses a substantial threat for compulsive use that is potentially greater than that for METH.
authors.affiliation: Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, SP30-2400, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Aarde
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Creehan
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Dickerson
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Taffe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D052117:Benzodioxoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D015198:Designer Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006948:Hyperkinesis / Q000209:etiology*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000209:etiology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012646:Self Administration; D019956:Stereotypic Movement Disorder / Q000209:etiology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000094982:Synthetic Cathinone
chemical_list: D052117:Benzodioxoles; D015198:Designer Drugs; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D008694:Methamphetamine; D000094982:Synthetic Cathinone