Several papers published in late 2011 examined the effects of mephedrone compared to similar drugs MDMA and amphetamine in the nucleus accumbens of rats, as well as the amephone`s potential for improvement. Dopamine and serotonin were collected by microdialysis, and dopamine and serotonin elevations were measured by HPLC. Reward and drug-seeking are associated with increased dopamine concentrations in the nucleus accumbens, and the half-life of drugs also plays a role in drug searching. Based on histological examinations, most of the author`s probes were located in the shell of the nucleus accumbens. Mephedrone administration caused an increase in dopamine of about 500% and a 950% increase in serotonin. They reached their peak concentrations after 40 and 20 minutes, respectively, and returned to baseline 120 minutes after injection. In comparison, MDMA caused an increase of about 900% in serotonin after 40 minutes, with an insignificant increase in dopamine. Administration of amphetamine resulted in an increase in dopamine of about 400%, which peaked after 40 minutes, with an insignificant increase in serotonin. Analysis of the AUC ratio for dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) showed that mephedrone was preferably a serotonin releaser, with a ratio of 1.22:1 (serotonin vs. dopamine).
In addition, half-lives for the decrease in AD and 5-HT were calculated for each drug. Mephedrone had decay rates of 24.5 minutes and 25.5 minutes, respectively. MDMA levels had decay levels of 302.5 minutes and 47.9 minutes, respectively, while amphetamine levels were 51 minutes and 84.1 minutes, respectively. Taken together, these results show that mephedrone induces a massive increase in DA and 5-HT, combined with rapid clearance. Internet forums have surfaced where MDAI users describe their experiences with the drug in detail. Positive comments included a sense of «comfort» or «comfort cloak»; Some described «moderate serotonergic exhaustion» or a slight descent. «Don`t think it`s to everyone`s taste, there`s no rush/stimulation/euphoria like other legal ones; It`s more of a therapeutic feeling,» one user said. Some users have had severe nosebleeds after sniffing mephedrone. Plus, you can never be completely sure that what you`re buying is actually mephedrone and nothing else. A synthetic chemical called MDAI has already emerged as a successor to mephedrone, which was banned in the UK over the weekend. A mephedrone-type drug containing cathinone was legally sold in Israel from 2004 under the name Hagigat.
When this was made illegal, cathinone was modified and the new products were sold by the Israeli company Neorganics. [56] [57] [58] The products had names like Neodove pills, but the line was discontinued in January 2008 after the Israeli government made mephedrone illegal. [3] [49] [59] The Psychonaut Research Project, an EU organisation that searches the internet for information on new drugs, first identified mephedrone in 2008. Their research suggested that the drug was first available on the internet in 2007, available via UK contacts, unknown contact, while it was also discussed on internet forums. [11] [60] Mephedrone was first seized in France in May 2007 after police sent a pill they believed to be ecstasy for analysis, with the discovery published in an article titled «4-methylephedrone, an «ecstasy» of the twenty-first century?» [47] Mephedrone was reportedly sold as ecstasy in the Australian city of Cairns in 2008 along with ethylcathinone. [61] [62] An annual survey of regular ecstasy users conducted in Australia in 2010 found that 21% of respondents had used mephedrone, up from 17% in the previous six months. The price they paid per gram ranged from A$16 to A$320. [12] The impending ban on legal highs was largely a complete whore. While there is no doubt that most substances covered by the Psychoactive Substances Act are not fit for human consumption, the government`s approach of imposing a blanket ban on virtually everything that affects the human brain (alcohol or tobacco) has been criticized for a number of reasons. (a) the direct transfer of all power to street vendors. and (b) are almost completely unenforceable. In the UK, there are several deaths a year of people taking mephedrone.
The EMCDDA reported that mephedrone can cause a variety of unintended side effects, including: dilated pupils,[17] poor concentration, teeth grinding, visual focus problems, poor short-term memory, hallucinations, delusions and erratic behaviour. [2]:13 They found that the most serious effects appear to be anecdotally associated with high doses or prolonged use, and that the effects may be due to users taking other intoxicants at the same time. Other effects that users have noticed on internet forums include changes in body temperature, increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, increased sweating, discoloration of the extremities, anxiety, paranoia and depression. [2]:13 When snorted, it can also cause nosebleeds and nasal burns. [2]:13 [18] A survey conducted by the UK`s National Centre for Drug Addiction found that 67% of mephedrone users sweat, 51% suffer from headaches, 43% from palpitations, 27% from nausea, and 15% from cold or blue fingers,[19] indicating vasoconstriction. [20] Doctors at Guy`s Hospital in London reported that of the 15 patients they treated after taking mephedrone in 2009, 53% were agitated, 40% had an elevated heart rate, 20% had systolic hypertension, and 20% had seizures; Three needed treatment with benzodiazepines, mainly to control their arousal. They reported that, contrary to other reports, none of their patients suffered from cold or blue peripheries. Nine of the 15 patients had a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 15, suggesting they were in a normal mental state, four had GCS less than 8, but these patients all reported using a central nervous system sedative, most commonly GHB, with mephedrone. Patients have also reported versatile consumption of a variety of compounds. [21] In 2008, an 18-year-old Swedish woman died in Stockholm after taking mephedrone. The newspaper Svenska Dagbladet reported that the woman had cramps and turned blue in her face.
[28] Doctors reported that she was in a coma and had hyponatremia and severe hypokalemia; The woman died a day and a half after the onset of symptoms. An autopsy revealed severe swelling of the brain. [29] Mephedrone was supposed to be classified as a «hazardous substance» in Sweden even before the woman`s death at Karolinska University Hospital on December 14, but the death has brought more media attention to the drug. Possession of mephedrone was criminalized in Sweden on 15 December 2008. [28] Mephedrone is often consumed with alcohol. A study in mice investigated the interrelationship between these two substances and focused on the psychostimulant and rewarding properties of mephedrone. It turned out that alcohol in low doses (non-stimulants) significantly increased the psychostimulant effect of mephedrone. This effect was mediated by an increase in synaptic dopamine, as haloperidol, but not ketanserin, was able to block potentiation by alcohol.
Similarly, the rewarding properties of mephedrone were enhanced by a low dose of non-rewarding alcohol. [40] According to the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs, after the illegality of mephedrone, the street drug trade appeared, with prices of £20 to £25 per gram, about twice as high as before prohibition. [100] In September 2010, Druglink reported that the ban had a mixed effect on mephedrone use, decreasing in some areas. Remain similar in other regions and occur more frequently in some regions. [101] In an online survey of 150 users after the ban, 63% said they continued to use mephedrone; Of these, half reported unchanged levels of use (in terms of dosage and frequency) and the other half reported reduced use.