Intravenous Self‐Administration of Synthetic Cathinones in Rhesus Monkeys

The recreational use of synthetic cathinones (“bath salts”) is a persistent public health challenge. However, there currently is a paucity of information regarding the reinforcing effects of varying types of cathinones in nonhuman primates. In this study, self‐administration of the cathinones methcathinone (MCAT), methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), methylone, and the norepinephrine (NE)‐preferring substituted phenethylamine PAL‐329 was compared to behavior maintained by the nonselective monoamine transporter blocker cocaine and the monoamine “releasers” d‐methamphetamine (dMA) and 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in rhesus monkeys (N=4) responding under a FR30/TO60‐s schedule of IV drug injections. All drugs produced inverted U‐shape dose‐response functions characteristic for drug‐maintained behavior, with a rank‐order potency of MDPV≥MCAT≥d‐MA>cocaine>MDMA>methylone≥PAL‐329. The peak number of infusions per session at optimal unit doses was comparable for cocaine, MCAT, MDPV, and d‐MA (40–50) and lower for PAL‐329 (30) and methylone or MDMA (16). Although the role of pharmacokinetic (especially time‐course) differences among drugs cannot be discounted, it is noteworthy that the cathinones MDPV (a transporter blocker) and MCAT (a monoamine releaser), which maintained the high levels of intake observed with cocaine or methamphetamine, have preferentially dopaminergic actions. In contrast, both methylone and PAL‐329 maintained lower levels of self‐administration, which may reflect the more prominent influence of their, respectively, serotonergic and noradrenergic actions. These studies provide a framework for the further evaluation of abuse‐related effects of novel cathinones based upon their neurochemical mechanisms of action. Support or Funding Information Supported by DA 002519 This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .