Methoxetamine affects brain processing involved in emotional response in rats

• DOI: 10.1111/bph.13952
• Publication Date: 2017-07-18T12:43:11Z
• Authors: M T Zanda; P Fadda; S Antinori; M Di Chio; W Fratta; C Chiamulera; L Fattore
• Keywords: Elevated plus maze

Background and Purpose Methoxetamine (MXE) is a novel psychoactive substance that emerging on the Internet induces dissociative effects acute toxicity. Its pharmacological have not yet been adequately investigated. Experimental Approach We examined range of behavioural induced by administration MXE (0.5–5 mg·kg −1 ; i.p.) in rats whether it causes rapid neuroadaptive molecular changes. Key Results ) affected motor activity dose‐ time‐dependent manner, inducing hypermotility hypomotility at low high doses respectively. At intermediate (0.5 1 ), anxious and/or obsessive–compulsive traits (marble burying test), did significantly increase sociability (social interaction test) or induce spatial anxiety (elevated plus maze test). dose (5 transient analgesia (tail‐flick hot‐plate decreased social time reduced immobility while increasing swimming (forced swim suggesting an antidepressant effect. Acute affect self‐grooming behaviour any tested. Immunohistochemical analysis showed behaviourally active (1 5 increased phosphorylation ribosomal protein S6 medial prefrontal cortex hippocampus. Conclusions Implications differentially activity, emotional states rats, depending As reported for ketamine, was MXE‐treated animals, thus providing ‘molecular snapshot’ changes MXE.