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Author:
Larrión Madoz, Javier
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Abstract
Monoaminergic neurotransmitters are substances that regulate a large number of brain processes in vertebrates. That is why the interest in studying and revealing how they can be affected by exposure to external agents has increased in recent years, either due to the action of environmental pollutants, drugs or drugs of abuse, such as synthetic cathinones. It has been observed that in recent years the consumption of these drugs and the cases of overdose toxicity have increased, due to their similarity in terms of structure and effects in the body with amphetamine derivatives and because they are on the border of legality.
The mouse (Mus musculus) is a model organism that has many advantages over others, since it has a central nervous system similar to that of humans and allows comparisons between them. In order to study the effect of synthetic cathinones on the monoaminergic system of mice, an extraction method has been developed and optimized followed by an analysis by LC-MS / MS, in order to determine the levels of nine monoaminergic neurotransmitters in two brain regions of the mouse (prefrontal cortex and striatum). The optimized method has been evaluated on quality parameters such as sensitivity, repeatability and reproducibility. In addition, the level of neurotransmitters in the two brain areas studied has been determined, proving that catecholaminergic neurotransmitters have a greater presence in the striatum. Finally, the change in the neurotransmitter profile has been evaluated after treating the mice with different doses of the studied synthetic cathinone, N-ethylpentylone. It has been observed how these produce a significant increase of dopamine levels and a significant decrease of norepinephrine and serotonin.
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