Neurotoxicological profile of the hallucinogenic compound 25I-NBOMe

• Published in: Scientific reports 2022-02, Vol.12 (1), p.2939-2939, Article 2939
• Main Authors: Herian, Monika, Wojtas, Adam, Maćkowiak, Marzena, Wawrzczak-Bargiela, Agnieszka, Solarz, Anna, Bysiek, Agnieszka, Madej, Katarzyna, Gołembiowska, Krystyna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/378; 631/80; Animals; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Blood-brain barrier; Blood-Brain Barrier - metabolism; Brain - drug effects; Brain - metabolism; Brain - pathology; Cell death; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Dimethoxyphenylethylamine - administration & dosage; Dimethoxyphenylethylamine - analogs & derivatives; Dimethoxyphenylethylamine - metabolism; Dimethoxyphenylethylamine - toxicity; DNA; DNA damage; DNA Damage - drug effects; Dopamine - metabolism; Glial cells; Glutamic Acid - metabolism; Hallucinogens - toxicity; Hippocampus; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Injections; Intoxication; multidisciplinary; Neuroglia - pathology; Neuronal-glial interactions; Neurotransmitters; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Phenethylamine; Prefrontal cortex; Rats; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Serotonin; Serotonin - metabolism; Toxicity
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07069-8

4-Iodo-2,5-dimethoxy- N -(2-methoxybenzyl)phenethylamine (25I-NBOMe) is a new psychoactive substance with strong hallucinogenic properties. Our previous data reported increased release of dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate after acute injections and a tolerance development in the neurotransmitters release and rats’ behavior after chronic treatment with 25I-NBOMe. The recreational use of 25I-NBOMe is associated with severe intoxication and deaths in humans. There is no data about 25I-NBOMe in vivo toxicity towards the brain tissue. In this article 25I-NBOMe-crossing through the blood–brain barrier (BBB), the impact on DNA damage, apoptosis induction, and changes in the number of cortical and hippocampal cells were studied. The presence of 25I-NBOMe in several brain regions shortly after the drug administration and its accumulation after multiple injections was found. The DNA damage was detected 72 h after the chronic treatment. On the contrary, at the same time point apoptotic signal was not identified. A decrease in the number of glial but not in neural cells in the frontal (FC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was observed. The obtained data indicate that 25I-NBOMe passes easily across the BBB and accumulates in the brain tissue. Observed oxidative DNA damage may lead to the glial cells’ death.