Metabolomics predicts the pharmacological profile of new psychoactive substances

BACKGROUND: The unprecedented proliferation of new psychoactive substances (NPS) threatens public health and challenges drug policy. Information on NPS pharmacology and toxicity is, in most cases, unavailable or very limited and, given the large number of new compounds released on the market each ye...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Olesti Muñoz, Eulàlia, 1991-, De Toma, Ilario, Ramaekers, Johannes G., Brunt, Tibor M., Carbó Banús, Marcel·lí, Fernández-Avilés, Cristina, Robledo, Patricia, 1958-, Farré Albaladejo, Magí, Dierssen, Mara, Pozo Mendoza, Óscar J., 1975-, Torre Fornell, Rafael de la
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10230/42139
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/42139
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269881118812103
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Targeted metabolomics
New psychoactive substances
Predicted pharmacology
Descripción
Sumario:BACKGROUND: The unprecedented proliferation of new psychoactive substances (NPS) threatens public health and challenges drug policy. Information on NPS pharmacology and toxicity is, in most cases, unavailable or very limited and, given the large number of new compounds released on the market each year, their timely evaluation by current standards is certainly challenging. AIMS: We present here a metabolomics-targeted approach to predict the pharmacological profile of NPS. METHODS: We have created a machine learning algorithm employing the quantification of monoamine neurotransmitters and steroid hormones in rats to predict the similarity of new drugs to classical ones of abuse (MDMA (3,4-methyl enedioxy methamphetamine), methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol). RESULTS: We have characterized each classical drug of abuse and two examples of NPS (mephedrone and JWH-018) following alterations observed in the targeted metabolome profile (monoamine neurotransmitters and steroid hormones) in different brain areas, plasma and urine at 1 h and 4 h post drug/vehicle administration. As proof of concept, our model successfully predicted the pharmacological profile of a synthetic cannabinoid (JWH-018) as a cannabinoid-like drug and synthetic cathinone (mephedrone) as a MDMA-like psychostimulant. CONCLUSION: Our approach allows a fast NPS pharmacological classification which will benefit both drug risk evaluation policies and public health.