N-Methyl-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-aminopropane (PMMA) and N-Methyl-1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-aminopropane (MDMA) produce non-identical discriminative stimuli in rats.
Richard A Glennon, Richard Young, Małgorzata Dukat, Jean Chang-Fong, Mohamed El-Zahabi
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior March 2007 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2007.01.007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Sprague-Dawley rats |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | MDMA and PMMA produce similar but non-identical discriminative stimulus effects in rats. PMMA's stimulus failed to fully generalize to cocaine, 8-OH DPAT, and R(-)MMA, while MDMA's did, indicating PMMA is less stimulant-like. |
Abstract
N-Methyl-1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-aminopropane (methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA, Ecstasy) and its structurally abbreviated congener N-methyl-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-aminopropane (para-methoxymethamphetamine, PMMA) are chemically related designer drugs, and PMMA is sometimes sold on the clandestine market as a substitute for MDMA. Prior drug discrimination studies have found that MDMA and PMMA substitute for one another suggesting that they produce similar discriminative stimulus effects in rats. However, there also are some indications that the two agents produce distinct stimulus effects. In this study, further comparisons were made between the stimulus effects of these two agents. Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate either 1.25 mg/kg of PMMA or 1.5 mg/kg of MDMA from saline vehicle in a two-lever operant paradigm. A structure-activity comparison revealed that MDMA and PMMA behave similarly upon homologation of their terminal amine substituents. In contrast, the PMMA stimulus, unlike an MDMA stimulus, failed to generalize completely to the psychostimulant cocaine, 8-hydroxy-2-(N,N-di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH DPAT), and R(-)-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)-2-aminopropane [R(-)MMA]. In an additional group of animals, a (+)amphetamine stimulus partially generalized to R(-)MMA. Taken together, the results argue and re-emphasize the conclusion that the stimulus effects produced by MDMA and PMMA are similar, but non-identical, and that PMMA is the less "stimulant-like" of the two.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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- MDMA-assisted therapy: A new treatment model for social anxiety in autistic adults. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry January 4, 2016
- MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) Analogues as Tools to Characterize MDMA-Like Effects: An Approach to Understand Entactogen Pharmacology Current Neuropharmacology August 1, 2013
- α-Ethyltryptamine: A Ratiocinatory Review of a Forgotten Antidepressant. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science December 8, 2023
- Pharmacology of MDMA- and Amphetamine-Like New Psychoactive Substances. Handbook of experimental pharmacology 2018
- Effect of Some Psychoactive Drugs Used as ‘Legal Highs’ on Brain Neurotransmitters Neurotoxicity Research April 1, 2016
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and 5 more in the library