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Mephedrone pharmacokinetics after intravenous and oral administration in rats: relation to pharmacodynamics

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An Erratum to this article was published on 17 September 2013

Abstract

Rationale

Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone) is a still poorly known drug of abuse, alternative to ecstasy or cocaine.

Objective

The major aims were to investigate the pharmacokinetics and locomotor activity of mephedrone in rats and provide a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model.

Methods

Mephedrone was administered to male Sprague–Dawley rats intravenously (10 mg/kg) and orally (30 and 60 mg/kg). Plasma concentrations and metabolites were characterized using LC/MS and LC-MS/MS fragmentation patterns. Locomotor activity was monitored for 180–240 min.

Results

Mephedrone plasma concentrations after i.v. administration fit a two-compartment model (α = 10.23 h−1, β = 1.86 h−1). After oral administration, peak mephedrone concentrations were achieved between 0.5 and 1 h and declined to undetectable levels at 9 h. The absolute bioavailability of mephedrone was about 10 % and the percentage of mephedrone protein binding was 21.59 ± 3.67 %. We have identified five phase I metabolites in rat blood after oral administration. The relationship between brain levels and free plasma concentration was 1.85 ± 0.08. Mephedrone induced a dose-dependent increase in locomotor activity, which lasted up to 2 h. The pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic model successfully describes the relationship between mephedrone plasma concentrations and its psychostimulant effect.

Conclusions

We suggest a very important first-pass effect for mephedrone after oral administration and an easy access to the central nervous system. The model described might be useful in the estimation and prediction of the onset, magnitude, and time course of mephedrone pharmacodynamics as well as to design new animal models of mephedrone addiction and toxicity.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge A.C. Roberts for revising the language of the manuscript. This study was supported by grants from the Generalitat de Catalunya (SGR977), the Plan Nacional sobre Drogas (2010/005), and the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (SAF2010-15948). Martínez-Clemente is a recipient of a fellowship from the Plan Nacional sobre Drogas and López-Arnau is a recipient of a fellowship from Generalitat de Catalunya.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no financial or commercial conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    J. Martínez-Clemente, R. López-Arnau, D. Pubill, J. Camarasa & E. Escubedo

  2. Human Pharmacology and Clinical Neurosciences Research Group, Neurosciences Research Program, IMIM—Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain

    M. Carbó

  3. Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    M. Carbó

Authors
  1. J. Martínez-Clemente
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  2. R. López-Arnau
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  3. M. Carbó
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  4. D. Pubill
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  5. J. Camarasa
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  6. E. Escubedo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Camarasa.

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Martínez-Clemente, J., López-Arnau, R., Carbó, M. et al. Mephedrone pharmacokinetics after intravenous and oral administration in rats: relation to pharmacodynamics. Psychopharmacology 229, 295–306 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3108-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3108-7

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