4-Methylamphetamine
Encyclopedia
4-Methylamphetamine is a stimulant
and anorectic
drug
of the phenethylamine
and amphetamine
chemical classes.
In vitro, it acts as a potent
and balanced
serotonin
, norepinephrine
, and dopamine
releasing agent
with Ki
affinity values of 53.4nM, 22.2nM, and 44.1nM at the serotonin
, norepinephrine
, and dopamine transporter
s, respectively. However, more recent in vivo studies that involved performing microdialysis on rats showed a different trend. These studies showed that 4-methylamphetamine is much more potent at elevating serotonin (~18 x baseline) relative to dopamine (~5 x baseline). The authors speculated that this is because 5-HT release dampens DA release through some mechanism. For example, it was suggested that a possible cause for this could be activation of 5HT2C receptors since this is known to inhibit DA release. In addition there are alternative explanations such as 5-HT release then going on to encourage GABA release, which has an inhibitory effect on DA neurons.
4-MA was investigated as an appetite suppressant in 1952 and was even given a trade name, but development was apparently never completed.
In animal studies, 4-MA was shown to have the lowest rate of self-administration out of a range of similar drugs tested (the others being 3-methylamphetamine
, 4-fluoroamphetamine, and 3-fluoroamphetamine
), likely as a result of having the highest potency for releasing serotonin relative to dopamine.
Stimulant
Stimulants are psychoactive drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both. Examples of these kinds of effects may include enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion, among others...
and anorectic
Anorectic
An anorectic or anorexic , also known as anorexigenic or appetite suppressant, is a dietary supplement and/or drug which reduces appetite, food consumption, and as a result, causes weight loss to occur.-List of anorectics:Numerous pharmaceutical compounds are marketed as appetite suppressants.The...
drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
of the phenethylamine
Phenethylamine
Phenylethylamine or phenethylamine is a natural monoamine alkaloid, trace amine, and also the name of a class of chemicals with many members well known for psychoactive drug and stimulant effects. Studies suggest that phenylethylamine functions as a neuromodulator or neurotransmitter in the...
and amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
chemical classes.
In vitro, it acts as a potent
Potency (pharmacology)
In the field of pharmacology, potency is a measure of drug activity expressed in terms of the amount required to produce an effect of given intensity. A highly potent drug evokes a larger response at low concentrations, while a drug of lower potency evokes a small response at low concentrations...
and balanced
Functional Selectivity
Functional selectivity is the ligand-dependent selectivity for certain signal transduction pathways in one and the same receptor. This can be present when a receptor has several possible signal transduction pathways...
serotonin
Serotonin
Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, platelets, and in the central nervous system of animals including humans...
, norepinephrine
Norepinephrine
Norepinephrine is the US name for noradrenaline , a catecholamine with multiple roles including as a hormone and a neurotransmitter...
, and dopamine
Dopamine
Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter present in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this substituted phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five known types of dopamine receptors—D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5—and their...
releasing agent
Releasing agent
A releasing agent , or simply releaser, is a drug that induces the release of a neurotransmitter from the presynaptic neuron into the synapse, leading to an increase in the extracellular concentrations of the neurotransmitter. Many drugs use neurotransmitter release to exert their psychological and...
with Ki
Dissociation constant
In chemistry, biochemistry, and pharmacology, a dissociation constant is a specific type of equilibrium constant that measures the propensity of a larger object to separate reversibly into smaller components, as when a complex falls apart into its component molecules, or when a salt splits up into...
affinity values of 53.4nM, 22.2nM, and 44.1nM at the serotonin
Serotonin transporter
The serotonin transporter is a monoamine transporter protein.This protein is an integral membrane protein that transports the neurotransmitter serotonin from synaptic spaces into presynaptic neurons. This transport of serotonin by the SERT protein terminates the action of serotonin and recycles it...
, norepinephrine
Norepinephrine transporter
The norepinephrine transporter , also known as solute carrier family 6 member 2 , is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC6A2 gene....
, and dopamine transporter
Dopamine transporter
The dopamine transporter is a membrane-spanning protein that pumps the neurotransmitter dopamine out of the synapse back into cytosol, from which other transporters sequester DA and NE into vesicles for later storage and release...
s, respectively. However, more recent in vivo studies that involved performing microdialysis on rats showed a different trend. These studies showed that 4-methylamphetamine is much more potent at elevating serotonin (~18 x baseline) relative to dopamine (~5 x baseline). The authors speculated that this is because 5-HT release dampens DA release through some mechanism. For example, it was suggested that a possible cause for this could be activation of 5HT2C receptors since this is known to inhibit DA release. In addition there are alternative explanations such as 5-HT release then going on to encourage GABA release, which has an inhibitory effect on DA neurons.
4-MA was investigated as an appetite suppressant in 1952 and was even given a trade name, but development was apparently never completed.
In animal studies, 4-MA was shown to have the lowest rate of self-administration out of a range of similar drugs tested (the others being 3-methylamphetamine
3-Methylamphetamine
3-Methylamphetamine is a stimulant drug from the amphetamine family. It is self-administered by mice to a similar extent to 4-fluoroamphetamine and has comparable properties as a monoamine releaser, although with a more balanced release of all three monoamines, as opposed to the more...
, 4-fluoroamphetamine, and 3-fluoroamphetamine
3-Fluoroamphetamine
3-Fluoroamphetamine is a stimulant drug from the amphetamine family which acts as a monoamine releaser with similar potency to methamphetamine but more selectivity for dopamine and noradrenaline release over serotonin...
), likely as a result of having the highest potency for releasing serotonin relative to dopamine.
See also
- 1-(4-Methylphenyl)-2-aminobutane
- 2-Methylamphetamine
- 3-Methylamphetamine3-Methylamphetamine3-Methylamphetamine is a stimulant drug from the amphetamine family. It is self-administered by mice to a similar extent to 4-fluoroamphetamine and has comparable properties as a monoamine releaser, although with a more balanced release of all three monoamines, as opposed to the more...
- 4-Methyl-N-methylamphetamine4-Methylmethamphetamine4-Methylmethamphetamine is a putative stimulant and entactogen drug of the amphetamine class. It is the β-deketo analogue of mephedrone.- See also :* 4-Methylamphetamine * 4-Methylmethcathinone * 3-Methoxymethamphetamine...
- 4-Methyl-N-methylcathinone4-MethylmethcathinoneMephedrone, also known as 4-methylmethcathinone , or 4-methylephedrone, is a synthetic stimulant and entactogen drug of the amphetamine and cathinone classes. Slang names include meph, drone, and MCAT. It is reportedly manufactured in China and is chemically similar to the cathinone compounds found...
- 3-Methoxy-4-methylamphetamine3-Methoxy-4-methylamphetamine3-Methoxy-4-methylamphetamine is an entactogen and psychedelic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine classes. It was first synthesized in 1970 and was encountered as a street drug in Italy in the same decade. MMA was largely forgotten until being reassayed by David E...
- 3,4-Dimethylamphetamine3,4-DimethylamphetamineXylopropamine , also known as 3,4-dimethylamphetamine, is a stimulant drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine classes which was developed and marketed as an appetite suppressant in the 1950s....