The 5-HT(2A)-serotonin receptor is a major molecular target for most atypical antipsychotic drugs as well as most hallucinogens, which can exacerbate psychotic symptoms. In this study, we examined whether random sequence variations in the gene (single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs) encoding the 5-HT(2A)-serotonin receptor could explain inter-individual variability in atypical antipsychotic and...
The diterpene salvinorin A from Salvia divinorum has recently been reported to be a high-affinity and selective kappa-opioid receptor agonist (Roth et al., 2002). Salvinorin A and selected derivatives were found to be potent and efficacious agonists in several measures of agonist activity using cloned human kappa-opioid receptors expressed in human embryonic kidney-293 cells. Thus, salvinorin...
Recent findings have implicated the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2B (5-HT2B) serotonin receptor in mediating the heart valve fibroplasia [valvular heart disease (VHD)] and primary pulmonary hypertension observed in patients taking the now-banned appetite suppressant fenfluramine (Pondimin, Redux). Via large-scale, random screening of a portion of the receptorome, we have discovered that the amphetamine...