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A comparison of the catecholamine releasing effect of the khat alkaloids (−)-cathinone and (+)-norpseudoephedrine

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Abstract

Consumption of khat leaves produces symptoms that are similar to those caused by amphetamine. The experiments reported in the following describe the effect of the two khat alkaloids (−)-cathinone and (+)-norpseudoephedrine at the cellular level. Both were shown to induce release from physiological catecholamine storage sites. Peripheral noradrenaline sites (rabbit heart) were observed to be more sensitive than CNS dopamine sites (rat nucleus accumbens). In the latter organ, which is believed to be involved in amphetamine hypermotility, (−)-cathinone was considerably more potent than (+)-norpseudoephedrine.

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A preliminary account of this report has been given at the 33rd International Congress on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Tangiers, October 1982, and at the International Conference on Khat, Antananarivo, January 1983.

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