Biology (Sep 2023)

The Designer Drug αPHP Affected Cell Proliferation and Triggered Deathly Mechanisms in Murine Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells

  • Elisa Roda,
  • Fabrizio De Luca,
  • Erica Cecilia Priori,
  • Daniela Ratto,
  • Silvana Pinelli,
  • Emilia Corradini,
  • Paola Mozzoni,
  • Diana Poli,
  • Giuliano Mazzini,
  • Maria Grazia Bottone,
  • Anna Maria Gatti,
  • Matteo Marti,
  • Carlo Alessandro Locatelli,
  • Paola Rossi,
  • Daniele Bottai

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12091225
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 9
p. 1225

Abstract

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Increasing reports of neurological and psychiatric outcomes due to psychostimulant synthetic cathinones (SCs) have recently raised public concern. However, the understanding of neurotoxic mechanisms is still lacking, particularly for the under-investigated αPHP, one of the major MDPV derivatives. In particular, its effects on neural stem/progenitor cell cultures (NSPCs) are still unexplored. Therefore, in the current in vitro study, the effects of increasing αPHP concentrations (25–2000 μM), on cell viability/proliferation, morphology/ultrastructure, genotoxicity and cell death pathways, have been evaluated after exposure in murine NSPCs, using a battery of complementary techniques, i.e., MTT and clonogenic assay, flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry, TEM, and patch clamp. We revealed that αPHP was able to induce a dose-dependent significant decrease of the viability, proliferation and clonal capability of the NSPCs, paralleled by the resting membrane potential depolarization and apoptotic/autophagic/necroptotic pathway activation. Moreover, ultrastructural alterations were clearly observed. Overall, our current findings demonstrate that αPHP, damaging NSPCs and the morpho-functional fundamental units of adult neurogenic niches may affect neurogenesis, possibly triggering long-lasting, irreversible CNS damage. The present investigation could pave the way for a broadened understanding of SCs toxicology, needed to establish an appropriate treatment for NPS and the potential consequences for public health.

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