Linking in vitro and ex vivo CB1 activity with serum concentrations and clinical features in 5F-MDMB-PICA users to better understand SCRAs and their metabolites.
Archives of toxicology November 1, 2022 Liesl K Janssens, Simon Hudson, David M Wood et al.
In 71 patients who used the synthetic cannabinoid 5F-MDMB-PICA, serum concentrations of the drug correlated with ex vivo activation of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor in a sigmoidal pattern. Two active metabolites were identified, but their overall contribution to cannabinoid activity in serum was negligible. Clinically, higher ex vivo cannabinoid activity was associated with a significant decrease in the Glasgow Coma Scale score, indicating reduced consciousness. In vitro pharmacological profiling could predict an individual's ex vivo CB1 activity, which in turn related to level of consciousness.