• Jiri Patocka, Bingshu Zhao, Wenda Wu, Blanka Klimova, Martin Valis, Eugenie Nepovimova, and Kamil Kuca.
• Department of Radiology, Toxicology and Civil Protection, Faculty of Health and Social Studies, University of South Bohemia, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
• Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Oct 31; 21 (21).

AbstractNew psychoactive substances are being used as drugs and appear to be quite popular nowadays. Thanks to their specific properties, these drugs create inimitable experiences for intoxicated people. Synthetic cathinones are the most common compounds in these new drugs. Among them, α-pyrrolidopentadione (α-PVP), or "Flakka" (street name), is one of the most famous cathinone-designed drugs. Similar to other synthetic cathinone drugs, α-PVP can effectively inhibit norepinephrine and dopamine transmitters. The adverse reactions of α-PVP mainly include mania, tachycardia, and hallucinations. An increasing number of people are being admitted to emergency wards due to the consequences of their use. This work mainly summarizes the history, synthesis, pharmacology, toxicology, structure-activity relationship, metabolism, clinical process and health risks, poisoning and death, forensic toxicology, and legal status of α-PVP. We hope this review will help bring more attention to the exploration of this substance in order to raise awareness of its negative impacts on humans.

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