Addiction biology
May 1, 2022
Feng Li, Han Du, Bo Wu et al.
16 citations
The drug 2-fluorodeschloroketamine (2-FDCK), a ketamine substitute used by drug abusers, shows abuse potential comparable to ketamine. In mice, 2-FDCK at 3 mg/kg induced conditioned place preference, similar to ketamine. Acute injections at 30 mg/kg increased locomotor activity, and repeated treatments led to locomotor sensitization after withdrawal. 2-FDCK supported self-administration at 0.5 mg/kg/infusion, matching ketamine, with peak seeking at 1 mg/kg. In drug discrimination tests, 2-FDCK dose-dependently substituted for ketamine with comparable potency. These findings indicate that 2-FDCK has an abuse potential similar to ketamine.
Journal of Chromatography B
March 2, 2022
Shuo Yang, Yan Shi, Zhuonan Chen et al.
13 citations
Mescaline, a psychedelic compound, can be effectively identified using advanced forensic toxicology methods. In a study involving 150 samples, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry demonstrated a detection limit of 0.1 ng/mL for mescaline, allowing for precise analysis in drug studies. This technique reduces confusion in distinguishing mescaline from other substances. The combination of analytical chemistry and chromatography enhances the reliability of forensic toxicology and drug analysis, ensuring accurate identification of psychedelics in various contexts, ultimately improving public safety and understanding of these compounds.
Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences
August 1, 2025
Yue Xiao, Shuai Yuan, Ruxin Luo et al.
3 citations
A high-throughput screening method using direct injection was developed to detect 311 new psychoactive substances (NPS) and their metabolites in wastewater, covering synthetic cannabinoids, cathinones, phenylethylamines, tryptamines, phencyclidines, benzodiazepines, fentanyls, and piperazines. The method runs in 16 minutes, with 95.8% of targets having a limit of detection at or below 10 ng/L and recoveries between 71.01% and 119.88%. Applied to 976 real samples from a Chinese city, it identified 32 substances, with ketamine detected most frequently. This approach offers a simple analytical tool for wastewater monitoring to support early warning and assessment of drug trends.
Neuroscience research
July 1, 2025
Kaixi Li, Nan Li, Yuanyuan Chen et al.
1 citation
Three synthetic tryptamines—AMT, 5-MeO-AMT, and 5-MeO-DiPT—alter levels of dopamine and serotonin and their metabolites in specific rat brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, dorsolateral striatum, and hippocampus. The effects vary by brain region and compound, with dopamine and serotonin systems playing key roles. These findings provide insight into the neurochemical actions of tryptamine hallucinogens.
Behavioural pharmacology
July 7, 2025
Kaixi Li, Nan Li, Yuanyuan Chen et al.
Three synthetic tryptamines—AMT, 5-MeO-AMT, and 5-MeO-DiPT—showed acute toxic effects, reduced movement, and triggered head-twitch responses (a sign of hallucinogenic-like behavior) in mice. Pretreatment with a low dose of M100907, a 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, blocked the head-twitch responses caused by all three substances. The findings indicate these compounds are toxic, inhibit locomotor activity, and have hallucinogenic properties, providing experimental data to support future regulation and mechanistic research.