Behavioral and neurochemical effects of (-)- and (+/-)-cathinone: dose-response and time-course.

The purpose of the present study was to compare (-)-cathinone and its analogue (+/-)-cathinone using behavioral and neurochemical measures. Rats were trained to discriminate between 0.6 mg/kg (-)- or (+/-)-cathinone and saline in a food-motivated, two-lever operant task. In addition, concentrations of dopamine, norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and their major metabolites were analyzed in the nuclei accumbens and septi lateralis. The results suggest that (-)- and (+/-)-cathinone have similar effects on behavior and neurochemistry with (-)-cathinone being more potent.