Pharmacology of New Psychoactive Substances

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are new psychoactive drugs functionally similar to delta-9tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) but with a higher binding affinity for cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors and are currently used recreationally with potential health risks. JWH-122 and JWH-210 are naphthoylindole SCs and potent CB1 and CB2 receptor agonists. Clinical effects of SCs are mainly available from intoxication cases and surveys, with few human studies following controlled administration or observational studies using standardized measures of cardiovascular and subjective effects. Martinez and colleagues evaluated the acute pharmacological effects of inhaled JWH-122 (1 mg) and JWH-210 (2.25 mg) recreational consumption in a 4 h observational study and assessed their disposition in the oral fluid. JWH-122 but not JWH-210 caused significant increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate. Moreover, only JWH-210 produced significant changes in subjective drug effects, similar to those induced by THC (intensity, high, good effects, and hunger). The maximal pharmacological effects and oral fluid concentrations mostly occurred 20 min after intake. The attained results demonstrate a different pattern of effects of these two SCs. In another report, Mendiguren and colleagues investigate the effect of cannabidiol (CBD) on the neuronal activity of dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) 5-HT cells and its interaction with somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptors. CBD is the main non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant, evokes several pharmacological effects via the 5-HT1A receptor. The DRN is the principal serotonergic cluster in the midbrain that expresses the 5-HT1A receptor. These authors determined the effect of CBD on the firing activity of DRN 5-HT cells and the 5-HT1A autoreceptor activation by electrophysiological and calcium imaging techniques in rat brain slices. CBD did not change the firing rate of DRN 5-HT cells or the inhibitory effect of 5-HT. However, CBD reduced the inhibitory effects of selective 5-HT1A receptor agonists (8-OH-DPAT and ipsapirone) by over 50%. Although CBD failed to activate 5-HT1A autoreceptors, it hampered the inhibitory effect of selective 5-HT1A receptor agonists on the firing activity of DRN 5-HT cells through a mechanism that does not involve CB1, serotonergic 5-HT2A, or GABAA receptors. Their data suggest a negative allosteric modulation of DRN somatodendritic 5-HT1A receptor by CBD.Cathinones are another class of new psychoactive agents. Poyatos and colleagues studied the effect of methylone, the most common synthetic cathinone, and MDMA in humans with a history of psychostimulant use. The subjects reported euphoria, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and wellbeing following both compounds. However, methylone worked faster but with a shorter duration of action, suggesting that methylone has the same pharmacological profile and possibly carries the same abuse potential as the parent compound. Zul Aznal and colleagues evaluated the effects of repeated administration (for 15 days) of mitragynine, the main alkaloid of kratom, and lyophilized kratom decoction on cognitive behaviours and brain metabolite profiles in adolescent (PND31) male Sprague Dawley rats. The authors showed that neither substance affects memory recognition in the novel object test. However, both substances caused a deficit in social interaction. Mitragynine also attenuated reference memory in the water maze test, which may be related to metabolite changes in the brain and involve different pathways.These studies reveal the importance of further studying the effect of these compounds to expand our understanding of the pharmacology and toxicology of these drugs and to provide useful information regarding their deleterious effects to both clinicians and the governmental policy makers.