Effects of combined treatment with mephedrone and methamphetamine or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine on serotonin nerve endings of the hippocampus
Life Science July 24, 2013 M. Angoa-Perez, Michael J. Kane, Nieves Herrera-Mundo et al. 41 citations
Mephedrone, a stimulant drug of abuse similar to methamphetamine and MDMA, does not damage serotonin nerve endings in the hippocampus. In a study of female C57BL mice, mephedrone alone did not cause persistent reductions in serotonin levels or in the serotonin transporter and tryptophan hydroxylase 2 markers. Methamphetamine and MDMA alone caused mild reductions in serotonin but did not change the other markers. Combining mephedrone with methamphetamine or MDMA did not increase toxicity to serotonin nerve endings beyond what either drug alone caused, unlike the increased toxicity seen with dopamine nerve endings when these drugs are taken together.