Genetic effects of chronic treatment with cathinone in mice

The mutagenicity of (-)-cathinone has been evaluated in the germ cells of male albino mice using a dominant lethal test. An aqueous solution of cathinone was administered orally at doses of 5, 20 or 40 mg/kg body wt, respectively to three different groups of male mice for a period of six weeks. After treatment, each male was allowed to mate with two different groups of three females each, on two consecutive weeks. These females were necropsied on the 17th day after mating. The number of implants in each female and the ratio of live and dead embryos was determined. The results of this study showed that treatment of male mice over a period of 6 weeks produced a dose-dependent reduction in fertility with total sterility at a dose of 40 mg/kg body wt. Cathinone also induced dose-dependent post-implantation loss during the first week following treatment. However, no dominant lethality was detected during the second week of mating.