QSAR studies on phenylalkylamines interacting with the serotonin receptor

An attempt is made to analyse the serotonin receptor binding affinity (pD2) of a small series of hallucinogenic phenylalkylamines in relation to various physical and physico-chemical parameters. It is found that pD2 can be significantly correlated with steric parameters, such as van der Waals (Vw) and molar refraction (MR). Based on the correlation equations obtained, it is suggested that the hallucination might be related with binding of drug with the serotonin receptor and that such binding might involve a van der Waals type of interaction.