title: Specificity of release of biogenic amines from isolated rat brain tissue as a function of the meta substituent of N-ethylamphetamine derivatives.
abstract: The actions of several meta-substituted N-ethylamphetamines on the release, uptake and catabolism of biogenic amines were investigated in vitro in two regions of rat brain. Each of the compounds released 3H-norepinephrine from chopped cerebral cortex, and 3H-dopamine and 3H-5-hydroxytryptamine from chopped corpus striatum. Stepwise multiple linear regression analyses indicated that the potencies (EC50 values) with which the compounds released 3H-norepinephrine were inversely related (r = 0.94) to the size of the meta substituent. Addition of substituent lipophilic or electronic effects to the regression equation did not greatly improve the correlation. However, the maximal release of 3H-norepinephrine produced by these compounds was directly related only to substituent lipophilic effects (r = 0.95). The potencies and maxima with which the compounds released 3H-dopamine or 3H-5-hydroxytryptamine and the potencies with which the compounds inhibited the uptake of the 3H-amines were not correlated with substituent size, lipophilicity or electronegativity. Variations in meta substituent also altered the degree to which the release 3H-amines were metabolized by monoamine oxidase. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that for each of the 3H-amines, the maximal percent increase in 3H-deaminated metabolites produced by the drugs was directly correlated only with substituent size (r = 0.85, 0.89 and 0.95 for 3H-norepinephrine, 3H-dopamine and 3H-5-hydroxytryptamine, respectively). Comparisons among the potencies with which compounds released the various 3H-amines indicated that, in general,  as substituent size increased, the compounds became relatively less potent in releasing 3H-catecholamines and relatively more potent in releasing 3H-5-hydroxytryptamine. Thus, these studies indicate that variations in the meta substituent group of N-ethylamphetamine derivatives determine the affinity of the derivatives for norepinephrine nerve endings and the relative affinities of the derivatives for norepinephrine, dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine nerve endings.
mesh_terms: D000662:Amphetamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000378:metabolism; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000662:Amphetamines; D001679:Biogenic Amines; D012701:Serotonin; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine