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Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Functional Evaluation of Biological Neurotoxins in Networked Cultures of Stem Cell-derived Central Nervous System Neurons
Published on: February 5, 2015
Dexfenfluramine neurotoxicity in brains of non-human primates
G A Ricaurte1, M E Molliver, M B Martello
1Department of Neurology, Francis Scott Key Medical Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21224.
Abstract:
Dexfenfluramine, a drug prescribed for appetite suppression, was evaluated in non-human primates for its potential to produce toxic effects on brain serotonin (5-HT) neurons. Squirrel monkeys received dexfenfluramine subcutaneously twice daily for four days at doses of 1.25 or 5.00 mg/kg. Two weeks later, a dose-related depletion of 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid was found, together with a reduced number of 5-HT uptake sites. Morphological studies showed acute pathological changes in 5-HT axons, followed by a persistent decrease in 5-HT axon density. Our findings indicate that dexfenfluramine damages central 5-HT neurons in monkeys and raise concern about the potential neurotoxicity of this drug in man.
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