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Efrain C. Azmitia

New York University

2 papers in the library · 212 citations · publishing 1992-2012

Papers

The substituted amphetamines 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, methamphetamine, p-chloroamphetamine and fenfluramine induce 5-hydroxytryptamine release via a common mechanism blocked by fluoxetine and cocaine

European Journal of Pharmacology May 1, 1992 Urs V. Berger, Xi Gu, Efrain C. Azmitia 210 citations

Substituted amphetamines MDMA, methamphetamine, PCA, and fenfluramine all release serotonin from nerve endings through a shared mechanism. PCA and fenfluramine are the most potent, MDMA is less potent, and methamphetamine is much less potent. Combining two drugs at half-effective concentrations does not increase release beyond either drug alone. The serotonin reuptake blockers fluoxetine and cocaine inhibit release from all four drugs equally. However, at low concentrations that block reuptake, these amphetamines do not reduce release caused by higher concentrations, indicating their uptake blockade differs from that of fluoxetine or cocaine.

Serotonin

Encyclopedia of Life Sciences October 15, 2012 Efrain C. Azmitia 2 citations

Serotonin, discovered in 1949, is found in all aerobic organisms and every human tissue, functioning as both a neurotransmitter and a trophic factor. It modifies biological and behavioral functions including sex, aggression, appetite, learning, memory, sleep, and hormonal secretion. As a trophic factor, serotonin influences neuronal neurogenesis, maturation, and release of the cytoskeletal stability factor S100b. In human fetuses, serotonin from the mother's gut enterochromaffin cells supports early development, and fetal serotonin neurons appear early in gestation, enhancing cell mitosis and migration. The serotonin system is proposed as a brain homeostatic regulator and is implicated in illnesses such as depression, Alzheimer's disease, autism, and schizophrenia. Serotonin is ancient, predating the nervous system in phylogeny and ontogeny.