The abuse potential of prolintane in rodents: Behavioral pharmacology approaches

Prolintane (1-Phenyl-2-pyrrolidinylpentane), a synthetic central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, is structurally similar to amphetamine but pharmacologically acts as a dopamine reuptake inhibitor like cocaine. While several case studies reported adverse effects and recreational use of prolintane, the abuse potential of the drug has not been systemically examined yet. In the present study, we evaluated the behavioral effects of prolintane regarding its abuse liability in rodents using locomotor activity, conditioned place preference (CPP), self-administration (SA), and drug discrimination paradigms, as well as in-vivo microdialysis experiment. First, acute prolintane (10 and 20 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection) increased locomotor activity (distance traveled, cm) in mice but to a lesser degree than methamphetamine (as a positive control). We also found that a single and solitary injection of prolintane (20 mg/kg, IP) significantly increased extracellular dopamine in the striatum. The following result suggests that its stimulatory effects might be associated with the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway. Further, prolintane produced a significant drug-paired place preference at doses of both 10 and 20 mg/kg. In the SA experiment, the mice that self-administered prolintane intravenously (4 mg/kg/inf) showed a higher infusion and active lever responses but not inactive lever responses. Additionally, cumulative doses of prolintane partially elicited cocaine-appropriate lever responses (38.57% at doses up to 10 mg/kg) in rats. These results implied that prolintane has not only rewarding and reinforcing effects but also interoceptive stimulus properties, which are similar to cocaine at a moderate level. Taken together, this study was the first to show, to our knowledge, that prolintane has a certain level of abuse potential and should be considered carefully as a valuable basis for legal restrictions on use.