Aromatic Bromination Abolishes the Psychomotor Features and Pro-social Responses of MDMA ("Ecstasy") in Rats and Preserves Affinity for the Serotonin Transporter (SERT).
Front Pharmacol February 28, 2019 Patricio Sáez-briones, Vicente Castro-Castillo, Gabriela Díaz-véliz et al. 4 citations
The psychomotor stimulation and pro-social effects of MDMA (ecstasy) in rats are eliminated by aromatic bromination, a chemical modification that replaces a hydrogen atom on the aromatic ring with bromine. The brominated compound retains affinity for the serotonin transporter (SERT), indicating that binding to SERT alone is insufficient to produce these behavioral effects. The findings suggest that other mechanisms beyond SERT binding are necessary for MDMA's characteristic psychomotor and pro-social actions.