Stereochemical effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and related amphetamine derivatives on inhibition of uptake of [3H]monoamines into synaptosomes from different regions of rat brain.
Biochemical pharmacology July 15, 1987 T D Steele, D E Nichols, G K Yim 179 citations
MDMA and related compounds block the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine more potently than dopamine, setting them apart from both amphetamine and the hallucinogen DOM. The S-(+) enantiomer of MDMA and MDA inhibits dopamine uptake, while the alpha-ethyl homolog MBDB does not. Both stereoisomers of MDMA, MDA, and MBDB strongly inhibit serotonin and norepinephrine uptake, whereas DOM has no effect on any monoamine uptake. These findings suggest MDMA's mechanism is closer to amphetamine than to DOM, and that serotonin and norepinephrine systems underlie its pharmacological effects.