Stimulants in “Bath Salts” Produce Effects Similar to MDMA

Figure 1A and 1B. Mephedrone and Methylone Increase Extracellular Serotonin and Dopamine Direct measurements of neurochemical release in the nucleus accumbens of living rats show that the higher the dose of mephedrone and methylone, the greater the increase in extracellular dopamine and serotonin levels. Like MDMA, the drugs produce a greater effect on serotonin (Figure 1A) than on dopamine (Figure 1B). Asterisks indicate a significant difference compared to saline-injected controls at a particular time point.

Figure 1 shows a pair of line charts that show the effect of injections of mephedrone, methylone, MDMA and a saline control, on serotonin level, and on dopamine level. For serotonin, after an injection of 0.3mg/kg of each compound at time zero, serotonin levels rose after 20 minutes for the test compounds (MDMA 450% of the preinjection baseline value; mephedrone 400% and methylone 225%). By 60 minutes after injection, the serotonin levels for all 3 compounds had dropped back to the baseline value. Then, at 60 minutes, animals were given an injection of 1.0 mg/kg of the compounds. Serotonin levels at 20 minutes increased 1000% for mephedrone, 750% for MDA, and 600% for methylone over baseline values (saline injection). By 120 minutes, serotonin levels dropped to 350% for mephedrone, 225% for MDA and 200% for methylone.

In the dopamine chart, 20 minutes after a 0.mg/kg injection, dopamine levels at increased 180% of baseline for mephedrone, 155% for MDA, and 130% for methylone. At 60 minutes the dopamine levels were 175% of baseline for MDMA, 160% for mephedrone and back to baseline (100%) for methylone. Then after an injection of 1.0 mg/kg at 60 minutes, dopamine levels at 80 minutes increased to 275% of baseline for mephedrone, 245% for MDMA, and 170% for methylone. By 120 minutes dopamine levels had decreased to 175% for MDMA, 145% for mephedrone and 145% for methylone.