Acute DOB and PMA Administration Impairs Motor and Sensorimotor Responses in Mice and Causes Hallucinogenic Effects in Adult Zebrafish
Micaela Tirri, Luisa Ponzoni, Sabrine Bilel, Raffaella Arfè, Daniela Braida, Mariaelvina Sala, Matteo Marti
Brain Sciences August 25, 2020 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10090586 via DOAJ
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractTwo new psychoactive substances, DOB and PMA, which are structurally similar to MDMA and sold as ecstasy, impair motor behavior and sensorimotor responses in mice and induce hallucinatory states in zebrafish. In CD-1 male mice, acute administration of DOB and PMA (0.01–30 mg/kg) reduced spontaneous locomotion and disrupted prepulse inhibition of startle responses to visual, acoustic, and tactile stimuli. In zebrafish, lower doses of DOB (0.075–2 mg/kg) and PMA (0.0005–0.5 mg/kg) decreased swimming activity and reduced a hallucinatory score, indicating pro-psychedelic effects. These findings suggest the substances alter sensorimotor gating and may produce hallucinogen-like states.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | CD-1 male mice and zebrafish |
| Interventions | DOB PMA |
| Dose | 0.01-30 mg/kg (DOB and PMA) for mice; 0.075-2 mg/kg (DOB) and 0.0005-0.5 mg/kg (PMA) for zebrafish |
| Keywords | Dob Hallucinogens Mice Pma Prepulse inhibition |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key finding | Acute administration of DOB and PMA impairs spontaneous locomotion and startle/prepulse inhibition responses in mice and promotes hallucinatory states in zebrafish. |
Abstract
The drastic increase in hallucinogenic compounds in illicit drug markets of new psychoactive substances (NPS) is a worldwide threat. Among these, 2, 5-dimetoxy-4-bromo-amphetamine (DOB) and paramethoxyamphetamine (PMA; marketed as “ecstasy”) are frequently purchased on the dark web and consumed for recreational purposes during rave/dance parties. In fact, these two substances seem to induce the same effects as MDMA, which could be due to their structural similarities. According to users, DOB and PMA share the same euphoric effects: increasing of the mental state, increasing sociability and empathy. Users also experienced loss of memory, temporal distortion, and paranoia following the repetition of the same thought. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the acute systemic administration of DOB and PMA (0.01–30 mg/kg; i.p.) on motor, sensorimotor (visual, acoustic, and tactile), and startle/PPI responses in CD-1 male mice. Moreover, the pro-psychedelic effect of DOB (0.075–2 mg/kg) and PMA (0.0005–0.5 mg/kg) was investigated by using zebrafish as a model. DOB and PMA administration affected spontaneous locomotion and impaired behaviors and startle/PPI responses in mice. In addition, the two compounds promoted hallucinatory states in zebrafish by reducing the hallucinatory score and swimming activity in hallucinogen-like states.