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.
Psychopharmacology
June 1, 2023
Zi-Hang Tang, Zhi-Peng Yu, Qiong Li et al.
7 citations
A substituted phenethylamine psychedelic, 25C-NBOMe, increases the ratio of excitation to inhibition in the orbitofrontal cortex by enhancing glutamatergic transmission and reducing GABAergic transmission via the 5-HT2A receptor. It also boosts the intrinsic excitability of pyramidal neurons, but not fast-spiking interneurons, through mechanisms involving G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium channels and protein kinase C. These effects collectively shift local excitation/inhibition balance toward excitation, which may underlie the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Neuropharmacology
April 1, 2023
Zhi-Peng Yu, Qiong Li, Zhou-Xiao Wu et al.
7 citations
The substituted phenethylamine psychedelic 25C-NBOMe, at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg that disrupts sensorimotor gating, selectively potentiates high frequency oscillation (HFO, 120-150 Hz) power in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of male Sprague-Dawley rats, peaking 20-30 minutes after treatment. It strengthens HFO coherence within the intra-prefrontal network but not the hippocampal-prefrontal network. Potentiated OFC HFO strongly correlates with strengthened inter-prefrontal HFO coherence. Pre-treatment with the serotonin 2A receptor antagonist MDL100,907 prevents these alterations. The findings indicate that OFC HFO is particularly susceptible to this psychedelic and may drive drug-induced rhythmic coherence within prefrontal regions, suggesting altered HFO could serve as a biological marker of psychedelic effects.
Psychophysiology
June 1, 2025
Yanfen Zhen, Pei Liu, Lin Jiang et al.
2 citations
Adolescents who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) show deficits in cognitive control, reflected in lower accuracy and sensitivity on an emotional go/no-go task, along with reduced P3 amplitude and theta power measured by EEG. A brief 10-minute deep breath meditation intervention, but not natural breath meditation, restored the decreased no-go theta power in these adolescents. Resting-state EEG microstate D, which reflects attention network activation, differed between meditation strategies and predicted NSSI remission one month later. The findings identify inhibition deficits and specific neural markers (P3, theta power, microstate D) that may aid diagnosis, track intervention effects, and forecast outcomes.
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.
Current neuropharmacology
June 30, 2026
Jiaying Wang, Rui Zhang, Yuanyuan Ma et al.
Prenatal exposure to ketamine or its analog 2-fluorodeschloroketamine disrupts mitochondrial energy production in developing brain cells, increasing the risk of neurological damage. Using human cerebral organoids and single-cell RNA sequencing of 83,436 cells, the study found that both substances altered gene networks controlling mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in cortical cells. Experiments in fetal mouse neurons confirmed that exposure increased mitochondrial fragmentation and oxidative stress while reducing ATP production capacity. These energy disruptions during rapid brain development can make offspring more vulnerable to neurological issues. The results provide direct evidence of neurodevelopmental toxicity from these substances and identify mitochondrial dysfunction as a probable primary molecular mechanism.
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.
Fa yi xue za zhi
February 25, 2024
Wei-Guang Yu, Qiang He, Zheng-Di Wang et al.
After a single injection of MDMA in rats, peak concentrations of MDMA and its metabolite MDA occurred at 5 minutes and 1 hour, respectively, and both were detectable up to 12 hours. After continuous daily administration over 7 days, peak times shifted to 30 minutes for MDMA and 1.5 hours for MDA, and the detection window shortened to 10 hours. The ratio of MDMA to MDA in plasma followed a nonlinear relationship with time, described by separate equations for single and continuous dosing. These toxicokinetic differences provide reference data for forensic identification of MDMA exposure.