Regular paper
Psychostimulant-like effects of p-fluoroamphetamine in the rat

https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-2999(95)00478-5Get rights and content

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to compare the pharmacological properties of p-fluoroamphetamine with those of amphetamine and of other halogenated amphetamines, using several in vivo and in vitro tests. These included substitution testing in (+)-amphetamine (1 mg/kg, 5.4 μmol/kg, i.p.)-, (+)-N-methyl-1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-butanamine [(+)-MBDB] (1.75 mg/kg, 7.18 μmol/kg, i.p.)-, and 5-methoxy-6-methyl-2-aminoindan (MMAI) (1.71 mg/kg, 8 μmol/kg, i.p.)-trained rats, [3H]5-HT and [3H]dopamine uptake inhibition in whole brain synaptosomes, and changes in striatal extracellular levels of dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and homovanillic acid (HVA) as measured by in vivo microdialysis in freely moving rats. In drug discrimination substitution tests, p-fluoroamphetamine fully mimicked (+)-amphetamine (ED50 0.43 mg/kg, 2.11 μmol/kg), whereas ‘no substitution’ was observed in rats traincd to discriminate the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT)-releasing agents (+)-MBDB or MMAI from saline. p-Chloroamphetamine did not substitute for amphetamine but fully substituted for the (+)-MBDB and MMAI cues (ED50 0.17 mg/kg, 0.82 μmol/kg, and 0.14 mg/kg, 0.69 μmol/kg, respectively), p-Fluoroamphetamine, in comparison with p-chloroamphetamine and p-iodoamphetamine, showed much stronger inhibition of [3H]dopamine than [3H]5-HT uptake into rat brain synaptosomes but was less selective than amphetamine. p-Fluoroamphetamine (7.0 mg/kg, i.p.), 1 h after administration, strongly elevated (849% of baseline) extracellular dopamine in rat striatum measured using in vivo microdialysis. Amphetamine (2 mg/kg, i.p.) increased extracellular dopamine in rat striatum with a maximum at the same time as did p-fluoroamphetamine, but the latter gave a smaller increase. The data presented suggest that p-fluoroamphetamine resembles amphetamine more than it does the 5-HT-releasing type amphetamines.

References (50)

  • L.G. Bergi et al.

    Structure-activity relationships in CF3 substituted phenethylamines

  • J.W. Boja et al.

    [3H]Cocaine binding and inhibition of [3H]dopamine uptake is similar in both the rat striatum and nucleus accumbens

    Eur. J. Pharmacol.

    (1989)
  • F.C. Colpaert et al.

    A drug discrimination analysis of the lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): in vivo agonist and antagonist effects of purported 5-hydroxytryptamine antagonists and of pirenpirone, a LSD-antagonist

    J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther.

    (1982)
  • G.D. D'Mello et al.

    Comparison of the discriminative stimulus properties of cocaine and amphetamine in rats

    Br. J. Pharmacol.

    (1977)
  • S.I. Dworkin et al.

    6-Hydroxydopamine lesions of the nucleus accumbens attenuate the discriminative stimulus effects of d-amphetamine

    Drug Dev. Res.

    (1989)
  • R.W. Fuller

    Structure-activity relationships among the halogenated amphetamines

    Ann. NY Acad. Sci.

    (1978)
  • R.W. Fuller et al.

    Influence of ring and side substituents on the selectivity of amphetamine as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor

    Res. Commun. Subst. Abuse

    (1982)
  • R.W. Fuller et al.

    Lowering of brain serotonin level by chloroamphetamines

    Biochemical Pharmacol.

    (1965)
  • R.W. Fuller et al.

    Comparison of 4-chloro-, 4-bromo- and 4-fluoroamphetamine in rats: drug levels in brain and effects on brain serotoninserotonim metabolism

    Neuropharmacology

    (1975)
  • R.W. Fuller et al.

    Effect of 3-(p-trifluoromethylphenoxy)-N-methyl-3-phenylpropylamine on the depletion of brain serotonin by 4-chloroamphetamine

    J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther.

    (1975)
  • R.W. Fuller et al.

    Reversible and irreversible phases of serotonin depletion by 4-chloroamphetamine

    Eur. J. Pharmacol.

    (1975)
  • L.J. Furmidge et al.

    Role of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in mediating the d-amphetamine discriminative cue

    Eur. J. Pharmacol.

    (1991)
  • S. Garattini et al.

    Biochemical pharmacology of the anorectic drug fenfluramine: a review

    Curr. Med. Res. Opin.

    (1979)
  • R.A. Glennon et al.

    Structure-activity studies on amphetamine analogs using drug discrimination methodology

    Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav.

    (1984)
  • J. Glowinski et al.

    Regional studies of catecholamines in the rat brain. I. The disposition of [3H]-norepinephrine, [3H]-dopamine and [3H]DOPA in various regions of the brain

    J. Neurochem.

    (1966)
  • J.D. Griffith et al.

    A comparison of fenfluramine and amphetamine in man

    Clin. Pharmacol. Ther.

    (1975)
  • J.A. Harvey et al.

    p-Chloroamphetamine: Selective neurotoxic actions in brain

    Science

    (1975)
  • J.A. Harvey et al.

    Comparison between the neurotoxic and serotonin depleting effects of various halogenated derivatives of amphetamine in the rat

    J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther.

    (1977)
  • B.T. Ho et al.

    Role of dopamine of d-amphetamine-induced discriminative responding

    Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav.

    (1975)
  • B.T. Ho et al.

    Stimulants as discriminative stimuli

  • M.P. Johnson et al.

    [3H]Monoamine releasing and uptake inhibition properties of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and p-chioroamphetamine analogues

    Eur. J. Pharmacol.

    (1991)
  • M.P. Johnson et al.

    Synthesis and pharmacological examination ofexaminationof 1-(3-methoxy-4-methylphenyl)-2-aminopropane and 5-methoxy-6-methyl-2-aminoindan: similarities to 3,4-methylenedioxymeth-amphetamine (MDMA)

    J. Med. Chem.

    (1991)
  • J.B. Kamien et al.

    Drug discrimination by humans compared to nonhumans: current status and future directions

    Psychopharmacology

    (1993)
  • R. Kuczenski

    Biochemical actions of amphetamine and other stimulants

  • J.T. Litchfield et al.

    A simplified method of evaluating dose-effect experiments

    J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther.

    (1949)
  • Cited by (43)

    • Synthetic amphetamine derivatives, benzofurans, and benzodifurans

      2021, Novel Psychoactive Substances: Classification, Pharmacology and Toxicology
    • Identification and characterization of 4-chloromethamphetamine (4-CMA) in seized ecstacy — a risk to public health

      2018, Forensic Science International
      Citation Excerpt :

      Based on these in vivo rat data one might expect 4-CA to have about four times the potency of MDMA. Also, in a study performed in 1995 it was demonstrated that 4-CA is a more potent 5-HT uptake inhibitor than amphetamine or 4-fluoroamphetamine, although less potent at dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake sites [17]. 4-CMA is the N-methylated derivative of 4-CA and will be more lipophilic and hence more likely to penetrate the blood–brain barrier and potentially more potent in vivo than 4-CA itself.

    • Role of dopamine D1 receptor in 3-fluoromethamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in mice

      2018, Neurochemistry International
      Citation Excerpt :

      3-FMA has been associated with increased risk of death in Finland, England and Wales (Vili et al., 2012; Statistics, 2015; Shapiro, 2016) and listed as a restricted drug in West Virginia, U.S.A (Laws, 2015). An earlier study has shown that fluorinated derivatives of AMPH exhibited psychostimulant-like properties (Marona-Lewicka et al., 1995). In addition, the behavioral and neurotoxic effects induced by 3-FMA currently remain unknown.

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    a

    Present address: Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Raabe College of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA.

    View full text