The aim of this review was to try to establish the current neurophysiological knowledge capable of explaining the differences of mental functioning during the different stages of sleep and waking. The analysis focused on the cortical state. Waking is characterized by electrophysiological activities (low voltage and gamma range EEG field patterns, unitary activities) and cerebral blood flow...
We have investigated the effects of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘ecstasy’) on peripheral noradrenergic neurotransmission in the rat. In rat atrial slices pre‐incubated with [ 3 H]‐noradrenaline and in the presence of desipramine (1 μ M ) to prevent effects of MDMA on basal outflow of tritium, MDMA (10 μ M ) significantly inhibited the release of tritium evoked by short trains of six...
The enantiomers of 3-(N-methylpyrrolidin-2-ylmethyl)-5-methoxyindole, 1, and 3-(N-methylpyrrolidin-2-ylmethyl)-4-hydoxyindole, 3, were prepared using an asymmetric synthesis that employed (+)- or (-)-proline. A new approach was developed that had certain advantages over the synthesis originally reported for the isomers of 1. (+/-)-3-(N-Methylpyrrolidin-3-yl)-4-hydroxyindole, 5, was also...
1. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta9-THC) and possible serotoninergic involvement on the extracellular level of dopamine (DA) in the striatum using microdialysis in conscious, freely-moving rats. 2. A dose-dependent increase in striatal DA release occurred after i.v. administration of 0.5 - 5 mg kg-1 Delta9-THC when compared with...
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine (THH) are the characteristic alkaloids found in Amazonian sacraments known as hoasca, ayahuasca, and yajè. Such beverages are characterized by the presence of these three harmala alkaloids, where harmine and harmaline reversibly inhibit monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) while tetrahydroharmine weakly inhibits the uptake of...
To the Editor: Recreational use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, or “ecstasy”), a hallucinogen, has increased both in Europe and the United States.1 This substance is manufactured in illicit laboratories from a variety of organic ketone precursors. MDMA, which is structurally related both to the stimulant amphetamine and to the hallucinogen mescaline, promotes the release of both...
We investigated whether dopamine plays a role in the neurodegeneration of 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) nerve endings occurring in Dark Agouti rat brain after 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ‘ecstasy’) administration. Haloperidol (2 mg kg −1 i.p.) injected 5 min prior and 55 min post MDMA (15 mg kg −1 i.p.) abolished the acute MDMA‐induced hyperthermia and attenuated the neurotoxic loss...
Two new bioactive indole alkaloids, 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) N-4-oxobutanoic acid and 5-hydroxytryptamine N-acetyl-N-pyrrolecarboxarnide , named as bufobutanoic acid (2) and bufopyramide (3), respectively, were isolated from the Chinese traditional drug Ch'an Su in addition to known bufotenine (1).The structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data.Bufobutanoic acid (2) and...
The psychedelic hallucinogens are comprised of three different groups of compounds according to Ž . Ž . their chemical structure Fig. 1 : 1 the ergolines Ž which contain an indole moiety e.g. lysergic acid . Ž . diethylamide, LSD ; 2 simple indoleamine hallucinoŽ gens e.g. N,N-dimethyltryptamine, DMT and psilocy. bin which share an indoleamine structure with the Ž endogenous neurotransmitter...
The immediate effect of administration of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ‘ecstasy’) on rectal temperature and the effect of putative neuroprotective agents on this change has been examined in rats. The influence of the temperature changes on the long term MDMA‐induced neurodegeneration of cerebral 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) nerve terminals was also examined. The novel low affinity...