Synthesis and Cyclic Voltammetry Studies of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Human Metabolites
JOURNAL OF HEALTH SCIENCE January 1, 2007 Carla Macedo, Paula S. Branco, Luı́sa M. Ferreira et al. 36 citations
The neurotoxic effects of MDMA (Ecstasy) may depend heavily on how the body metabolizes the drug in the liver. Metabolism produces highly reactive compounds, including catechols, catechol thioethers, and quinones. Researchers used cyclic voltammetry to measure the electrochemical oxidation-reduction processes of chemically synthesized human MDMA metabolites. They then correlated the redox potentials of α-methyldopamine, N-methyl-α-methyldopamine, and 5-(glutathion-S-yl)-α-methyldopamine with their toxicity to rat cortical neurons. The data demonstrated that the lower oxidation potential of the catecholic thioether of α-MeDA correlated with its higher toxicity, supporting the use of voltammetry data to predict the toxicity of MDMA metabolites.