Projects in the laboratory have addressed the reinforcing effects of mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone; 4-MMC), Methylone, 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone as well as on newly appearing compounds such as Pentedrone and Pentylone. Our most recent work focuses on the pyrrolidino-phenones.
Our interest in the substituted cathinone [ Search PubMed ] stimulant drugs began in 2009-2010 as the use of 4-methylmethcathinone (4-MMC; mephedrone) begain to increase in the UK. Our work was further motivated by the emergence of MDPV as a substantial new drug of abuse in the US during 2011-2011. Structurally speaking, cathinone is amphetamine with a ketone substitution in the beta position. Due to the similarity of structure with substituted amphetamines, the questions naturally evolved as to subjective character: Is 4-MMC more like an MDMA-type entactogen or more like classical stimulants such as amphetamine or methamphetamine? Additional reading can be found in the tlneuro blog cathinone archive.
Khom, S., Nguyen, J.D., Vandewater, S.A., Grant, Y., Roberto, M., and Taffe, M.A. Self-administration of entactogen psychostimulants dysregulates GABA and kappa opioid receptor signaling in the central nucleus of the amygdala of female Wistar rats. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 2021, Dec 16, 15(780500):1-13. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.780500. [ Publisher Site ][ PubMed ]
Taffe, M.A., Nguyen, J.D., Vandewater, S.A., Grant, Y., Creehan, K.M., and Dickerson, T.J. Effects of α-pyrrolidino-phenone cathinone stimulants on locomotor behavior in female rats. Drug Alcohol Depend, 2021, Oct, 227:108910 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108910 . [Publisher Site (Open Access)]
Javadi-Paydar, M., Harvey, E.L., Grant, Y., Vandewater, S.A., Creehan, K.M., Nguyen, J.D., Dickerson, T.J., and Taffe, M.A. Binge-like Acquisition of α-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (α-PVP) Self-Administration in Female Rats. Psychopharmacology, 2018 Jun 16. doi: 10.1007/s00213-018-4943-3. [Epub ahead of print] [ Publisher Link ][ Free Viewable Link ][ PubMed ]
Javadi-Paydar, M., Nguyen, J.D., Vandewater, S.A., Dickerson, T.J., and Taffe, M.A. Locomotor and Reinforceing Effects Of Pentedrone, Pentylone and Methylone In Rats. Neuropharmacology, 2018, 134(A):57-64. [ Publisher Site ][ PubMed ].
Nguyen, J.D., Bremer, P.T., Ducime, Creehan, K.M., Kisby, B.R., Taffe, M.A. and Janda, K.D. Active vaccination attenuates the psychostimulant effects of α-PVP and MDPV in rats, Neuropharmacology, 2017, 116:1-8. [ Publisher Site ][ PubMed ]
Nguyen, J.D., Aarde, S.M., Cole, M., Vandewater, S.A., Grant, Y. and Taffe, M.A. Locomotor stimulant and rewarding effects of inhaling methamphetamine, MDPV and mephedrone via electronic cigarette-type technology, Neuropsychopharmacology, 2016, 41:2759-2771. [ Publisher Site ][ PubMed]
Nguyen, J.D., Grant, Y., Creehan, K.M., Vandewater, S.A. and Taffe, M.A. Escalation of intravenous self-administration of methylone and mephedrone under extended access conditions., Addict Biol, 2017, 22:1160-1168. [ Publisher Site ] [ PubMed ]
Vandewater, S.A., Creehan, K.M. and Taffe, M.A. Intravenous self-administration of entactogen-class stimulants in male rats. Neuropharmacology, 2015, 99:538-545. [ Publisher Site ][ PubMed ]
Aarde, S.M., Miller, M.L. Creehan, K.M., Vandewater, S.A. and Taffe, M.A. One day access to a running wheel reduces self-administration of d-methamphetamine, MDMA and Methylone. Drug Alcohol Depend, 2015, 151:151-158. [ Publisher Site ][ PubMed ]
Aarde, S.M., Creehan, K.M., Vandewater, S.A., Dickerson, T.J. and Taffe, M.A. In vivo potency and efficacy of the novel cathinone α-pyrrolidinopentiophenone and 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone: Self-administration and locomotor stimulation in male rats. Psychopharmacology, 2015, 232:3045-3055. [ Publisher Site ][ PubMed ]
Creehan, K.M., Vandewater, S.A. and Taffe, M.A. Intravenous self-administration of mephedrone, methylone and MDMA in female rats. Neuropharmacology, 2015, 92:90-97. [ Publisher Site ][ PubMed ]
Aarde, S.M., Huang, P-K, Dickerson, T.J. and Taffe, M.A. Binge-like Acquisition of 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) self-administration and wheel activity in rats. Psychopharmacology, 2015, DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3819-4 [Publisher Site; PubMed]
Aarde, S.M., Huang, P-K, Creehan, K.M., Dickerson, T.J. and Taffe, M.A. The novel recreational drug 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is a potent psychomotor stimulant: self-administration and locomotor activity in rats. Neuropharmacology, 2013, in press [ PubMed ][ Publisher Link ].
Aarde, S.M., Angrish, D., Barlow, D.J., Wright, Jr., M.J., Vandewater, S.A., Creehan, K.M., Houseknecht, K.L., Dickerson, T.J. and Taffe, M.A. Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone) supports intravenous self-administration in Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rats. Addict Biol, 2013, in press. [ PubMed ] [ PublisherLink ]
Miller, M.L., Creehan, K.M., Angrish, D., Barlow, D.J., Houseknecht, K.L., Dickerson, T.J. and Taffe, M.A. Changes in ambient temperature differentially alter the thermoregulatory, cardiac and locomotor stimulant effects of 4-methylmethcathinone (mephedrone), Drug Alcohol Depend, 2013, 127(1-3):248-253 Epub 2012 Jul 23.[ PubMed Abstract ] [ Publisher Link ]
Wright, Jr, M.J., Angrish, D., Aarde, S.M., Barlow, D.J., Buczynski, M.W., Creehan, K.M., Vandewater, S.A., Parsons, L.H., Houseknecht, K.L., Dickerson, T.J. and Taffe, M.A. Effect of ambient temperature on the thermoregulatory and locomotor stimulant effects of 4-methylmethcathinone in Wistar and Sprague-Dawley rats, PLoS ONE, 2012, 7(8):e44652. Epub 2012 Aug 31.[ PubMed ][ PublisherLink ]
Wright, Jr, M.J., Vandewater, S.A., Angrish, D., Dickerson, T.J. and Taffe, M.A. Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone, 4MMC) and d-methamphetamine improve visuo-spatial associative memory, but not spatial working memory, in rhesus macaques, British Journal of Pharmacology, 2012, 167(6):1342-1352. [ PubMed Abstract ][ Publisher Link ]
Huang,P.K., Aarde, S.M., Angrish, D., Houseknecht, K.L., Dickerson, T.J. and Taffe, M.A. Contrasting effects of d-methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone, and 4-methylmethcathinone on wheel activity in rats, Drug Alcohol Depend, 2012, 126(1-2):168-175. [ PubMed Abstract ][ Publisher Link ]
Cathinone research in The Taffe Laboratory is supported by USPHS Grant R01 DA042211 in its second competing interval. Other psychostimulant research has been previously supported by USPHS Grants R01 DA042211, R01 DA024705, R01 DA024105 and R01 DA018418.