Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Pharmacology Section and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
2 papers in the library · 23 citations · publishing 2024-2025
All tested 5-MeO-tryptamines selectively bind to 5-HT1A receptors over 5-HT2A receptors, with computational docking predicting better interaction in the 5-HT1A binding pocket. These compounds also interact with the serotonin transporter (SERT), where molecular size of the amino group influences affinity. 5-MeO-pyr-T acts as the most potent partial 5-HT releaser. All tryptamines elicit the head twitch response in mice, indicating potential hallucinogenic effects primarily mediated by 5-HT2A receptors, but 5-HT1A activation attenuates this response. Tryptamines producing stronger hypothermic responses via 5-HT1A tend to show lower hallucinogenic effects, highlighting opposing roles of the two receptors. Some compounds with low hallucinogenic effects remain potent 5-HT2A agonists, offering insight into non-hallucinogenic therapeutic ligands.
Three novel phenethylamine derivatives—25C-NBF, 25B-NBF, and 25I-NBF—show high affinity and selectivity for the 5-HT2A receptor, with signaling bias toward Gq over β-arrestin pathways similar to serotonin. In mice, they cause moderate head-twitch responses without affecting movement or sensorimotor gating. No rewarding or reinforcing effects were observed, and accumbal dopamine levels in rats remained unchanged. 25C-NBF promotes dendritogenesis, spinogenesis, and increased Bdnf mRNA in vitro and in vivo, reduces despair-like behavior after acute stress, and produces rapid antidepressant effects in a chronic corticosterone model of anhedonia. These findings suggest 25C-NBF may offer a fast-acting antidepressant with no abuse potential or sensorimotor deficits.