Aromatic Bromination Abolishes the Psychomotor Features and Pro-social Responses of MDMA ("Ecstasy") in Rats and Preserves Affinity for the Serotonin Transporter (SERT).
Patricio Sáez-briones, Vicente Castro-Castillo, Gabriela Díaz-véliz, Luis Valladares, Rafael Barra, Alejandro Hernández, Bruce K. Cassels
Front Pharmacol February 28, 2019 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00157 via PubMed Central
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe 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.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats |
| Intervention | MDMA |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key finding | Aromatic bromination of MDMA abolishes its psychomotor and pro-social effects in rats while preserving affinity for the serotonin transporter. |
Abstract
Aromatic Bromination Abolishes the Psychomotor Features and Pro-social Responses of MDMA ("Ecstasy") in Rats and Preserves Affinity for the Serotonin Transporter (SERT).