Background and Purpose: 4‐Methyl‐N‐methylcathinone (mephedrone) is a synthetic stimulant that acts as a substrate‐type releaser at transporters for dopamine (DAT), noradrenaline (NET) and 5‐HT (SERT). Upon systemic administration, mephedrone is metabolized to several phase I compounds: the N‐demethylated metabolite, 4‐methylcathinone (nor‐mephedrone); the ring‐hydroxylated metabolite, 4‐hydroxytolylmephedrone (4‐OH‐mephedrone); and the reduced keto‐metabolite, dihydromephedrone.Experimental Approach: We used in vitro assays to compare the effects of mephedrone and synthetically prepared metabolites on transporter‐mediated uptake and release in HEK293 cells expressing human monoamine transporters and in rat brain synaptosomes. In vivo microdialysis was employed to examine the effects of i.v. metabolite injection (1 and 3 mg·kg⁻¹) on extracellular dopamine and 5‐HT levels in rat nucleus accumbens.Key Results: In cells expressing transporters, mephedrone and its metabolites inhibited uptake, although dihydromephedrone was weak overall. In cells and synaptosomes, nor‐mephedrone and 4‐OH‐mephedrone served as transportable substrates, inducing release via monoamine transporters. When administered to rats, mephedrone and nor‐mephedrone produced elevations in extracellular dopamine and 5‐HT, whereas 4‐OH‐mephedrone did not. Mephedrone and nor‐mephedrone, but not 4‐OH‐mephedrone, induced locomotor activity.Conclusions and Implications: Our results demonstrate that phase I metabolites of mephedrone are transporter substrates (i.e. releasers) at DAT, NET and SERT, but dihydromephedrone is weak in this regard. When administered in vivo, nor‐mephedrone increases extracellular dopamine and 5‐HT in the brain whereas 4‐OH‐mephedrone does not, suggesting the latter metabolite does not penetrate the blood–brain barrier. Future studies should examine the pharmacokinetics of nor‐mephedrone to determine its possible contribution to the in vivo effects produced by mephedrone.

Amphetamine abuse is a major public health concern for which there is currently no effective treatment. To develop effective treatments, the mechanisms by which amphetamine produces its abuse-related effects need to be fully understood. It is well known that amphetamine exerts its actions by targeting high-affinity transporters for monoamines, in particular the cocaine-sensitive dopamine transporter. Organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3) has recently been found to play an important role in regulating monoamine signaling. However, whether OCT3 contributes to the actions of amphetamine is unclear. We found that OCT3 is expressed in dopamine neurons. Then, applying a combination of in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro approaches, we revealed that a substantial component of amphetamine’s actions is OCT3-dependent and cocaine insensitive. Our findings support OCT3 as a new player in the actions of amphetamine and encourage investigation of this transporter as a potential new target for the treatment of psychostimulant abuse.

Increasing extracellular levels of serotonin (5-HT) in the brain ameliorates symptoms of depression and anxiety-related disorders, e.g., social phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder. Recent evidence from preclinical and clinical studies established the therapeutic potential of drugs inducing the release of 5-HT via the 5-HT-transporter. Nevertheless, current 5-HT releasing compounds under clinical investigation carry the risk for abuse and deleterious side effects. Here, we demonstrate thatS-enantiomers of certain ring-substituted cathinones show preference for the release of 5-HT ex vivo and in vivo, and exert 5-HT-associated effects in preclinical behavioral models. Importantly, the lead cathinone compounds (1) do not induce substantial dopamine release and (2) display reduced off-target activity at vesicular monoamine transporters and 5-HT_2B-receptors, indicative of low abuse-liability and low potential for adverse events. Taken together, our findings identify these agents as lead compounds that may prove useful for the treatment of disorders where elevation of 5-HT has proven beneficial.

Background and Purpose: Amphetamines bind to the plasmalemmal transporters for the monoamines dopamine (DAT), noradrenaline (NET) and 5‐HT (SERT); influx of amphetamine leads to efflux of substrates. Various models have been proposed to account for this amphetamine‐induced reverse transport in mechanistic terms. A most notable example is the molecular stent hypothesis, which posits a special amphetamine‐induced conformation that is not likely in alternative access models of transport. The current study was designed to evaluate the explanatory power of these models and the molecular stent hypothesis.Experimental Approach: Xenopus laevisoocytes andHEK293 cells expressing human (h)SERTwere voltage‐clamped and exposed to 5‐HT, p‐chloroamphetamine (pCA) or methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA).Key Results: In contrast to the currents induced by 5‐HT,pCA‐triggered currents throughSERTdecayed slowly inXenopus laevisoocytes once the agonist was removed (consistent with the molecular stent hypothesis). However, whenSERTwas expressed inHEK293 cells, currents induced by 3 or 100 μMpCAdecayed 10 or 100 times faster, respectively, afterpCAremoval.Conclusions and Implications: This discrepancy in decay rates is inconsistent with the molecular stent hypothesis. In contrast, a multistate version of the alternative access model accounts for all the observations and reproduces the kinetic parameters extracted from the electrophysiological recordings. A crucial feature that explains the action of amphetamines is their lipophilic nature, which allows for rapid diffusion through the membrane.