DMPEA is metabolized by deamination and O-demethylation, with the rate of deamination twice that of mescaline. Unchanged DMPEA and two metabolites were identified in urine, and radioactivity appeared in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid.
Abstract
The metabolism of C 14 -labeled β-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethylamine (DMPEA), reported to be present in the urine of several patients with mental disorders, was studied in man after oral administration. The cumulative excretion of radioactivity in the urine and the concentration of the radioactive material in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid were determined. Unchanged DMPEA, 3,4-dimethoxyphenylacetic acid and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylacetic acid were identified and their concentration determined in the collected urine. The rate of deamination of ingested DMPEA was twice that of mescaline. Aspects of the metabolic fate of mescaline and DMPEA were compared with each other and with those of some of their urinary metabolites.