Discriminative-Stimulus Effects of Synthetic Cathinones in Squirrel Monkeys
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology April 26, 2021 Alison Wakeford, Alexander M. Sherwood, Thomas E. Prisinzano et al. 6 citations
Synthetic cathinones produce behavioral effects similar to either psychostimulants like methamphetamine or entactogens like MDMA, depending on their dopaminergic or serotonergic activity. In squirrel monkeys trained to distinguish methamphetamine or MDMA from a placebo, cathinones such as MDPV, α-PVP, and methcathinone fully substituted for methamphetamine but only partially for MDMA, indicating primarily dopamine-mediated effects. Conversely, mephedrone and methylone fully substituted for MDMA but not for methamphetamine, suggesting a primary role for serotonin. These differences in interoceptive effects in nonhuman primates may reflect the subjective effects these drugs produce in humans.