Stimulus effects of three sulfur-containing psychoactive agents.
Two agents gaining popularity on the illicit drug market are the phenylalkylamines 4-MTA and 2C-T-7 [or 1-(4-methylthiophenyl)-2-aminopropane and 2-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-n-propylthiophenyl)-1-aminoethane, respectively]. At this time, there exists a paucity of information on the behavioral actions of these sulfur-containing agents. The present investigation examined these agents, and the N-monomethyl analog of 4-MTA (i.e., 4-MTMA), in tests of stimulus generalization (substitution) using a two-lever drug discrimination task with groups of rats trained to discriminate either the hallucinogen DOM [1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylphenyl)-2-aminopropane], the stimulant cocaine, or the empathogen MDMA from vehicle. 4-MTA and its N-monomethyl analog 4-MTMA (ED50 = 0.8 mg/kg in both cases) substituted only for the MDMA stimulus, whereas 2C-T-7 (ED50 = 0.8 mg/kg) substituted only for the DOM stimulus. Thus, at the doses examined, 4-MTA and 4-MTMA appear to be MDMA-like agents, and 2C-T-7 seems best classified as a DOM-like hallucinogen. These results provide additional data that extend the structure-activity relationships of phenylalkylamines and that are consistent with what little is currently known about the action of 4-MTA and 2C-T-7 in humans.
Khorana
Nantaka
N
Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA.
Pullagurla
Manik R
MR
Dukat
Malgorzata
M
Young
Richard
R
Glennon
Richard A
RA
D004290:DOM 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-Methylamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010627:Phenethylamines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011437:Propylamines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013440:Sulfides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry
C497026:1-(4-methylthiophenyl)-2-aminopropane; C487778:2,5-dimethoxy-4-n-propylthiophenethylamine; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D006213:Hallucinogens; D013287:Illicit Drugs; C497027:N-methyl-1-(4-methylthiophenyl)-2-aminopropane; D010627:Phenethylamines; D011437:Propylamines; D013440:Sulfides; D004290:DOM 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-Methylamphetamine; D013455:Sulfur; D003042:Cocaine; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine