This study demonstrates that the isomers of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) are different in their ability to induce changes in serotonergic parameters and nigral concentrations of neurotensin-like immunoreactivity. With five successive doses (3.5 mg/kg) the d-MDA isomer was more potent than the l-MDA in its ability to decrease the concentrations...
The tail-flick and increasing temperature hot-plate tests were employed to study the effects of acute or chronic treatment with zimelidine, alaproclate or chlorimipramine on nociception and response to 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeODMT) in mice. A single dose of the serotonin (5-HT) uptake inhibitors produced antinociception in the hot-plate test but not in the tail-flick test. After...
R(-)-2,5-Dimethoxy-4-77Br-amphetamine [77Br-R(-)DOB], a radioligand of high specific activity (1500 +/- 200 Ci/mmol), was used to label membrane-associated recognition sites in rat brain. 77Br-R(-)DOB sites were of high affinity (KD = 0.19 nM) but low density (Bmax = 0.32 pmol/g tissue) in rat brain preparations. Competition experiments show that both 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-HT2...
Alterations in brain serotonergic function have been implicated in the mechanism of action of LSD, mescaline, and other similarly acting hallucinogenic drugs of abuse such as STP (2,5-dimethoxyphenylisopropylamine; DOM). In order to test the hypothesis that the mechanism of action of LSD and phenylisopropylamine hallucinogens is through stimulation of a specific brain serotonin receptor...
Twenty-one indolealkylamines, some of which are known to be psychoactive in man, were examined for their binding interactions with rat brain cortical 5-HT2 receptors labeled with the antagonist radioligand [3H]ketanserin in order to develop structure-activity relationships for binding at these sites. Features investigated included aromatic, alpha-methyl and terminal amine substituents....
Various direct- and indirect-acting serotonin (5-HT) agonists serve as training drugs in tests of stimulus control of behavior; such agents include: 5-hydroxytryptophan, 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, and fenfluramine. However, with the recent discovery of multiple populations of central 5-HT binding sites, the concept of site-selective serotonergic agents needs to be addressed. Certain...
The sensitive serotonergic radioligand 2-[125I]lysergic acid diethylamide was used to study the distribution and pharmacological binding properties of serotonin receptors in Aplysia californica. The high specific activity of this radioligand allowed us to develop a methodology for the investigation of receptor binding properties and receptor distribution in a single ganglion. [125I]Lysergic...
Abstract Ritanserin, a novel methylenepiperidine derivative, was studied in a wide range of common pharmacological tests mainly in rats. The lowest ED 50 , 0.0070 mg/kg, was obtained against tryptamine‐induced cyanosis. At 0.037 mg/kg, tryptamine‐induced bilateral clonic seizures were inhibited. Slightly higher doses, up to 0.11 mg/kg, inhibited mescaline and 5‐hydroxytryptophan (5‐HTP)‐induced...
In the rat, administration of the psychoactive analog of amphetamine 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), causes selective, pronounced decreases in markers of central serotonergic function. The time course of these neurochemical changes was examined in several serotonergic nerve terminal regions of the brain. Fifteen min after subcutaneous injection of MDMA (10 mg/kg), the enzymatic...
Phencyclidine (PCP)-induced behaviors were compared with 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeODMT)- and p-chloroamphetamine-induced behaviors in rats pretreated with ritanserin or 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) in order to investigate whether PCP interacts with 5-hydroxytryptamine2 (5-HT2) receptors. Head-twitch and wet-dog shake induced by p-chloroamphetamine, a 5-HT releaser, and...