Expert Opinion on Drug Metabolism & Toxicology
March 31, 2020
Esther Papaseit, Clara Pérez‐mañá, Marta Torrens et al.
34 citations
MDMA (ecstasy) is a widely used recreational stimulant. Users often combine it with other drugs to enhance effects, reduce toxicity, or manage comedowns, which increases the risk of severe toxicity. This review covers known interactions between MDMA and other pharmaceuticals or drugs of abuse, offering clinical recommendations. The authors note that few published studies exist and documented clinically significant interactions are scarce. Experimental evidence shows that interactions are especially relevant when MDMA is taken with drugs metabolized by the CYP2D6 enzyme, due to MDMA's inhibitory effect, and during repeated MDMA use.
Frontiers in Pharmacology
February 17, 2023
Lourdes Poyatos, Clara Pérez‐mañá, Olga Hladun et al.
26 citations
Methylone, a common synthetic cathinone used as a substitute for MDMA, produces similar acute effects in humans. In a controlled trial with 17 experienced psychostimulant users, a single 200 mg oral dose of methylone increased blood pressure and heart rate and induced pleasurable effects including stimulation, euphoria, wellbeing, enhanced empathy, and altered perception. Methylone's effect profile resembled MDMA's but with a faster onset and earlier disappearance of subjective effects. The findings suggest methylone's abuse potential is comparable to that of MDMA in humans.
Journal of Clinical Medicine
February 15, 2022
Lourdes Poyatos, A Acuna Torres, Esther Papaseit et al.
26 citations
Cathinone, mephedrone, methylone, and diethylpropion produce stimulant and euphorigenic effects similar to amphetamines and MDMA, with varying intensities that may correspond to different levels of abuse potential. This systematic review of 18 studies (5 on cathinone, 7 on mephedrone, 1 on methylone, 5 on diethylpropion) found that all four substances induce desirable and reinforcing effects that could lead to misuse and addiction. The authors conclude that further investigation is needed to minimize and prevent their impact on society and public health.
Biology
August 17, 2021
Lourdes Poyatos, Esther Papaseit, Eulàlia Olesti et al.
26 citations
Methylone, a synthetic cathinone and beta-keto analogue of MDMA, produces acute subjective and physiological effects similar to MDMA but less intense. In an observational-naturalistic study of 14 healthy poly-drug users who self-administered oral doses (methylone 100-300 mg, mean 187.5 mg; MDMA 75-100 mg, mean 87.5 mg), methylone showed a prototypical psychostimulant and empathogenic profile. Oral fluid concentrations of both substances peaked at 2 hours, with MDMA levels matching those from controlled studies. The findings indicate that methylone's abuse potential is comparable to MDMA's in recreational users.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
November 23, 2022
Lourdes Poyatos, Alfredo Fabrizio Lo Faro, Diletta Berardinelli et al.
22 citations
After controlled oral doses of 50–200 mg methylone given to 12 male volunteers, plasma concentrations increased in proportion to dose. Maximum concentrations ranged from 153 ng/mL at the lowest dose to 604 ng/mL at the highest dose. The drug was absorbed rapidly, reaching peak levels in 1.5–2 hours, and had a half-life of about 6 hours. Its metabolite HMMC reached peak concentrations 10–14 times lower than methylone. Unlike MDMA, methylone showed linear pharmacokinetics across the dose range. A validated LC-MS/MS method was used to measure methylone, MDMA, and their metabolites in plasma.
Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
January 20, 2024
Alfredo Fabrizio Lo Faro, Giorgia Sprega, Diletta Beradinelli et al.
14 citations
Enantioselective high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methods were developed to quantify MDMA and its phase-1 metabolites HMA, HMMA, and MDA in human plasma, sweat, oral fluid, and urine. Two polysaccharide-based chiral columns achieved baseline separation of most enantiomer pairs: the Lux AMP column separated MDMA, HMA, and HMMA enantiomers but not MDA; the Lux i-Amylose-3 column separated MDMA, HMMA, and MDA enantiomers but not HMA. Analysis took under 4 minutes with one column and under 6 minutes with the other. Both methods were validated and applied to biological fluids, confirming enantioselective metabolism of MDMA.
Biology
March 24, 2021
Nunzia la Maida, Esther Papaseit, Lucía Martínez de Soto et al.
14 citations
Synthetic cannabinoid UR-144, monitored by the EU Early Warning System since 2012 for severe adverse effects, shows a similar cardiovascular profile to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) but with less intense subjective effects. In an observational study, 16 volunteers smoked joints containing either UR-144 (1 or 1.5 mg) or cannabis (10 or 20 mg THC). Both substances significantly increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate. UR-144 produced lower scores on visual analog scales for stimulant-like and high effects compared to cannabis, and no hallucinogenic effects were observed. UR-144 was detectable in oral fluid, peaking at 20 minutes after smoking, offering a non-invasive biomarker of consumption. These preliminary findings require confirmation in larger samples.
Frontiers in pharmacology
January 1, 2025
Georgina De la Rosa, Esther Papaseit, Olga Hladun et al.
7 citations
Alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (α-PVP), a synthetic cathinone similar to MDPV and cocaine, produces rapid-onset psychostimulant and empathogenic effects after a single intranasal dose. In nine participants with prior psychostimulant use, 10 mg or 20 mg of α-PVP caused an acute increase in blood pressure and heart rate that peaked 40 minutes after administration. Subjective effects appeared quickly and resolved within 3 to 5 hours. The drug's psychostimulant properties resembled those of cocaine, and its empathogenic effects were similar to those of MDMA and other cathinones like methylone.