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Substance Use Disorders
Published in Vincenzo Berghella, Maternal-Fetal Evidence Based Guidelines, 2022
The alpha- and beta-adrenergic properties of amphetamines are responsible for the cardiovascular effects of amphetamines. Release of serotonin is responsible for some of the hallucinogenic effects of amphetamines [155]. Amphetamine use can damage brain structures including the grey matter, temporal lobe, and basal ganglia. Methamphetamine abuse can cause toxic hepatitis, which presents similarly to acute viral hepatitis. Consequences of long-term methamphetamine use include anxiety, confusion, insomnia, memory loss, weight loss, dental problems (“meth mouth”), depression, violence, paranoia, hallucinations, and formication [156]. Symptoms of amphetamine and synthetic cathinone withdrawal are mild and not life-threatening (e.g., depression, insomnia) but some users have reported symptoms of psychological dependence (e.g., drug cravings) weeks after discontinuation.
Synthetic Cathinones and Related Fatalities in the United Kingdom
Published in Ornella Corazza, Andres Roman-Urrestarazu, Handbook of Novel Psychoactive Substances, 2018
John M. Corkery, Christine Goodair, Hugh Claridge
Khat (Catha edulis forsk) is a member of the evergreen Celastracae (moonseed or spindle- tree) family (Corkery, 2016). Its fresh leaves contain several phenylpropylamine-type alkaloids, of which the two main psychoactive constituents are the stimulants cathinone (S-(-)-α-aminopropiophenone) and cathine (S,S-(+)-norpseudoephedrine). Cathinone (α-aminopropiophenone) has been isolated in variable amounts from fresh leaves. These molecules act on two main neurochemical pathways—dopamine and noradrenalin. It has been proposed that cathinone, like amphetamine, releases serotonin into the central nervous system (CNS), inducing dopamine release from CNS dopamine terminals, increasing dopaminergic pathway activity (Kalix & Braenden, 1985). Cathinone facilitates the transmission of noradrenalin. It has been suggested that the uptake of noradrenalin is inhibited by cathinone and cathine (Drake, 1988). Cathinone possesses a stronger stimulant effect than cathine and is generally regarded as the more important constituent in khat. However, the presence of oxygen makes cathinone unstable, and it decomposes within just a few days of being picked or if it is dried (Griffiths et al., 1997). Its psychoactivity quickly declines, becoming physiologically inactive after approximately 36 hours.
Amphetamines, Cathinones (Bath Salts), and Cocaine
Published in Darrell L. Ross, Gary M. Vilke, Guidelines for Investigating Officer-Involved Shootings, Arrest-Related Deaths, and Deaths in Custody, 2018
Stephen L. Thornton, Michael A. Darracq, Binh T. Ly
Ultimately, amphetamines and cathinones cause excessive amounts of norepinephrine and dopamine to be released and at the same time interfere with them being taken back up by nerve cells, which is necessary to stop their action (Elliott & Beveridge, 2005). The result is excessive norepinephrine and dopamine activity and increased activation of the sympathetic nervous system. To what degree the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated largely depends on the type and amount of amphetamine or cathinone used. Practically, a toxic dose of amphetamine or cathinone is one that causes undesirable effects. What constitutes an overdose or toxic dose of these agents will vary tremendously depending on the type of drug and the individual (Johanson & Schuster, 1981).
The rise of global research trends on cathinones during 1994-2018: lessons from a systematic bibliometric analysis
Published in Journal of Substance Use, 2022
Kang Wang, Yijie Duan, Haihong Chen, Jin Hu, Man Liang
To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first systematic bibliometric assessment of cathinone-related literature from 1994–2018 to analyze emerging trends in cathinone research. We studied cathinone research trends and patterns and identified the countries that have contributed most to cathinone research. The findings of this study should shed light on the possible interplay among clandestine “bath salt” use, relative research, and legislation. Therefore, a multi-pronged coordinated approach among medicinal chemists, pharmacologists and toxicologists is crucial for obviating the legal process that allows substance manufacturers to circulate cathinones in society. Our network analysis of published research should help to elucidate the pharmacological and toxicological profiles of cathinones and to raise public awareness about their potential hazards. Hence, network analysis should be applied in subsequent studies.
Blood concentrations of synthetic cathinones
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2021
Synthetic cathinones first appeared on the drug market in 2004 and since then their number has increased. At present, they are the second largest and the second most frequently seized group of new psychoactive substances in Europe [1]. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) currently monitors 138 synthetic cathinones [1]. These substances have stimulating and emphatogenic actions, and are used as alternatives to amphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), as well as cocaine. Synthetic cathinone use is often associated with health and life risks. Their toxic effects include aggression, agitation, paranoia, and delusions. The synthetic cathinone ingestion can result in seizures, hyperthermia, rhabdomyolysis, renal and hepatic failure, and can led then to death [2].
The synthetic cathinone α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone (α-PVP): pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic clinical and forensic aspects
Published in Drug Metabolism Reviews, 2018
Leandro Nóbrega, Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira
Cathinone is a monoamine and the main psychoactive naturally occurring alkaloid found in the leaves of the Catha edulis plant, commonly known as khat (Marinetti and Antonides 2013; Watterson and Olive 2014). SC are phenylalkylamines cathinone analogs, and are often termed ‘bk-amphetamines’ or ‘β-keto amphetamines’ due to the presence of beta-ketone group at the β-position of the side chain (Prosser and Nelson 2012; Miller et al. 2017; Valento and Lebin 2017). Functional group substitutions to the core structure of the parent cathinone compound (Figure 1) have yielded a large number of SC on the street and cyber drug markets, which can be separated into four different chemical families based on the substitutions made (Figure 2) (Valente et al. 2014; Miller et al. 2017): (i) the most basic N-alkylated derivatives, which may present alkyl substitutions in the α-carbon of the side chain (e.g. 4-methy-lethcathinone) and/or in the benzyl ring (e.g. mephedrone); (ii) the methylenedioxy benzyl ring derivatives (e.g. methylone), which are structurally similar to 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamines (e.g. ecstasy or MDMA); (iii) the N-pyrrolidine derivatives (e.g. α-PVP) and; (iv) the synthetic cathinone family that has both the 3,4-methylenedioxy ring substitution and the N-pyrrolidinyl moiety (e.g. 3,4-methylenedioxy-α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone or 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone or MDPV). Many of these derivatives suffer only slight changes to their structure aiming to bypass the legislation regarding NPS. In the US and Europe, bupropion is the only SC that has a medical application for treatment of depression and smoking-cessation aid (Miller et al. 2017).