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Discriminative stimulus properties of substituted amphetamine derivatives
W A Corrigall1, K M Coen, F M Saouda
1Neurobiology Section, Addiction Research Foundation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|December 1, 1992
Summary
Novel amphetamine derivatives were tested for their stimulant effects. Two compounds, DMMTA and TMA, showed limited amphetamine-like responding and significantly decreased response rates in animals.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Amphetamine serves as a standard stimulant in behavioral pharmacology.
- Understanding amphetamine's effects is crucial for developing new therapeutic agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the stimulant properties of three novel amphetamine derivatives: DMEA, DMMTA, and TMA.
- To assess the dose-dependent amphetamine-appropriate responding and effects on response rates.
Main Methods:
- A fixed-ratio (FR 10), food-reinforced operant conditioning paradigm was used.
- Animals were trained to discriminate amphetamine (1 mg/kg) from saline.
- Dose-response curves were generated for amphetamine and its novel derivatives.
Main Results:
- Amphetamine (1 mg/kg) reliably engendered drug-appropriate responding.
- DMEA showed minimal amphetamine-appropriate responding (<20%) across tested doses.
- DMMTA and TMA demonstrated limited generalization and significantly decreased response rates, with DMMTA having the most pronounced effect.
Conclusions:
- Novel amphetamine derivatives DMMTA and TMA do not effectively substitute for amphetamine in this discrimination paradigm.
- These compounds possess significant response rate-decreasing effects, potentially limiting their therapeutic utility as stimulants.