Effect of synthetic cathinones: mephedrone, butylone and 3,4 methylene-dioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) on social separation induced distress vocalization, vigilance and postural control of young domestic chicks.

Designer drugs have become a distinct social problem and health hazard in Europe and US, and their abuse has increased dramatically in the last decade. Selective effects of these agents on animal behavioral parameters may help in better understanding of the potential risks of human drug abuse. In the present study, the effects of three different abusive agents of the cathinone family, mephedrone, butylone and 3,4 methylene-dioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) were tested in young domestic chicks, following administration of single intraperitoneal injections (10mg/bwt). Early maturing (precocial) birds are particularly suited for investigation of isolation stress-related behavioral response and stereotypic or targeted pecking. Both mephedrone and MDPV increased the frequency of distress calls of socially isolated birds as measured over a period of 10min. While this effect of mephedrone was only evident in the first half of observation period, an increase with MDPV was more lasting. Though increased non-distress vocalization, butylone failed to enhance distress calls probably due to a general adverse effect on muscle tone. Apart from its effect on distress vocalization, mephedrone did not alter the behavior of chicks. However, both butylone and MDPV showed prominent behavioral changes, which were examined in another set of long term experiments, over a period of 120min. Butylone caused hyperventilation and a robust impairment of postural control, whereas neither the wakeful activity level, nor the pecking frequency was significantly affected. Conversely, no hyperventilation or postural disorder was observed with MDPV, however, both waking state and pecking were significantly enhanced. The results may be relevant to potentially different and specific effects of cathinone drugs under stress-related conditions, as well as on other physiological and behavioral parameters, even in case of closely related compounds.

Metabolic activation by human arylacetamide deacetylase, CYP2E1, and CYP1A2 causes phenacetin-induced methemoglobinemia.

Phenacetin has been used as an analgesic antipyretic but has now been withdrawn from the market due to adverse effects such as methemoglobinemia and renal failure. It has been suggested that metabolic activation causes these adverse effects; yet, the precise mechanisms remain unknown. We previously demonstrated that human arylacetamide deacetylase (AADAC) was the principal enzyme catalyzing the hydrolysis of phenacetin. In this study, we assessed whether AADAC was involved in phenacetin-induced methemoglobinemia. A high methemoglobin (Met-Hb) level in the blood was detected 1 h after administration of phenacetin (250 mg/kg, p.o.) to male C57BL/6 mice. Pre-administration of tri-o-tolylphosphate, a general esterase inhibitor, was found to decrease the levels of Met-Hb and the plasma concentration of p-phenetidine, a hydrolyzed metabolite of phenacetin. An in vitro study using red blood cells revealed that incubation of phenacetin or p-phenetidine with human liver microsomes (HLM) increased the formation of Met-Hb. To identify the enzymes involved in the formation of Met-Hb, we used recombinant enzymes and HLM treated with inhibitors in the measurement of the formation of Met-Hb. High levels of Met-Hb were observed following incubation of human AADAC with either cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2 or CYP2E1. Furthermore, the increased Met-Hb formation by the incubation of HLM with phenacetin was significantly inhibited to 25.1 ± 0.7% of control by eserine, a potent AADAC inhibitor. In conclusion, we found that the hydrolysis by AADAC and subsequent metabolism by CYP1A2 and CYP2E1 play predominant roles in phenacetin-induced methemoglobinemia.

Effects of phenacetin and its metabolite p-phenetidine on COX-1 and COX-2 activities and expression in vitro.

The present study was aimed to test the possible cyclooxygenase (COX)-1/COX-2 selectivity of the old analgesic drug phenacetin and its metabolite p-phenetidine, which exhibits high renal toxicity. Paracetamol (acetaminophen), the main metabolite of phenacetin with low renal toxicity, and indomethacin were selected as reference compounds. Collagen-stimulated platelet thromboxane B2 (TxB2) production and phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-induced neutrophil prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis were used as indicators for COX-1 and COX-2 activity, respectively. Phenacetin was even less potent than paracetamol to reduce the production of both TxB2 and PGE2, and no clear preference for either of the COX-enzymes was seen. P-phenetidine was a more potent inhibitor, already at nanomolar level, of the synthesis of these prostanoids than indomethacin and showed some preference to COX-2 inhibition. Somewhat higher, micromolar, concentrations of p-phenetidine also reduced COX-2 expression in neutrophils. We suggest that the very potent inhibitory activity of p-phenetidine on PGE2 synthesis combined with the reduction of COX-2 expression could explain the renal papillary necrosis in phenacetin kidney.

Inhibition of prostaglandin synthetases derived from neuronal and glial cells and rat renal medulla by ortho-, meta- and para-substituted aminophenolic compounds.

Acetophenetidines, acetamidophenols, phenetidines and aminophenols substituted in o-, m- or p-position inhibit prostaglandin-synthetases originating from C 1300 mouse neuroblastoma cells (clone N2A), rat astrocytoma cells (clone C 6) and rat renal medulla. Desacetylated compounds were more potent inhibitors than their corresponding acetyl derivatives and many o- and m-analogues were more active than p-substituted structures like paracetamol (p-acetamidophenol) or phenacetin (p-acetophenetidine). When twelve o-, m- or p-aminophenolic test compounds were compared to acetylsalicyclic acid and indomethacin, o-, and p-phenetidine and o-aminophenol were as effective as acetylsalicyclic acid. All aminophenol derivatives which inhibited prostaglandin synthesis suppressed cultured nervous cell and kidney cyclo-oxygenases to similar extents. Our results suggest that aminophenolic drugs are not more effective against prostaglandin-synthetases in the CNS than against those in the periphery.

Hydroperoxide-dependent activation of p-phenetidine catalyzed by prostaglandin synthase and other peroxidases.

p-Phenetidine is metabolized by ram seminal vesicle (RSV) microsomes, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and rat liver microsomes to protein-binding products. These reactions are very rapid and depend on the presence of arachidonic acid (AA) or various hydroperoxidases. The RSV- and HRP-mediated binding was inhibited more than 80% by the addition of reduced glutathione (1 mM) or the antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (0.5 mM). Indomethacin (100 microM) and acetylsalicylic acid (1 mM) reduced the AA-dependent reaction in RSV microsomes to less than 5% of control values. When hydrogen peroxide replaced AA, the RSV/H2O2-supported binding in the presence of 50 microM p-phenetidine proceeded at rates similar to that observed with RSV/AA. Unlike the AA-dependent reaction, the H2O2-supported reaction showed no inhibition of protein binding at higher p-phenetidine concns. The data in this report are consistent with a peroxidatic activation of p-phenetidine possibly involving an amine radical catalyzed by prostaglandin synthase (PGS) present in RSV microsomes as well as by other peroxidases. The mechanism for this activation and physiological implications are discussed.

Inhibitory actions of desacetylation products of phenacetin and paracetamol on prostaglandin synthetases in neuronal and glial cell lines and rat renal medulla.

The inhibitory actions of phenacetin and paracetamol and of their desacetylation products on prostaglandin synthesis were studied on enzyme preparations originating from a neuronal cell line (mouse neuroblastoma, clone N2A), a glial cell line (rat astrocytoma, clone C6) and rat renal medulla. All compounds tested inhibited cultured cell and kidney prostaglandin synthetases to similar extents. p-Phenetidine and p-aminophenol, the desacetylated metabolites of phenacetin and paracetamol, were either 7-10 times or 4 times more potent than paracetamol. Thus, p-Phenetidine inhibited prostaglandin synthesis as efficaciously as did acetylsalicylic acid. The possible roles of p-phenetidine as the active metabolite of phenacetin for cyclo-oxygenase inhibition in brain and of phenacetin as an organ pro-drug are discussed.