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Alcohol vs. Amphetamine Pharmacophore

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bloodshed344

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May 9, 2012
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I have been thinking about the distinct similarity between alcohol and amphetamine lately. Amphetamine is no doubt a more advanced compound but it displays some of the same effects that alcohol does. I know alcohol doesn't affect monoamines the same way amphetamine does, but I'm wondering how the similarity plays into the similarity of effects. For one, doesn't alcohol affect dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine? I know it has effects on dopamine.

I started thinking about this the other day when I randomly thought of gabapentin's structure. Gabapentin itself is somewhat similar in structure to amphetamine. I know gabapentin does not have any receptor affinities and acts as a calcium-voltage-whatever but the effects from it feel distinctly stimulating for me. I'm not implying it has any actions at dopamine or norepinephrine sites, but it sure feels like it does. So I only thought of this when noticing how similar the effects from gabapentin were to amphetamine.

When I think of gabapentin and alcohol compared to amphetamine, I realize that they all have a carbon side chain, with gabapentin having a methylamine, amphetamine having an ethylamine, and alcohol being ethanol. I am wondering about the differences in alcohol and amphetamine binding to the dopamine receptor. Is alcohol a dopamine release agent or just an inhibitor? Do gabapentin or alcohol analogs share any affinity for the dopamine receptor?

Similarly, I feel bad for asking you guys this as I'm basically using you as a search engine, is a version of ethanol with a phenyl ring attached an active molecule? and what of it's effects on dopamine?

Does alcohol affect serotonin, also? Thanks.
 
Alcohol and amphetamine are similar to you how? I know that ethanol is a receptor whore and has a number of activities that are not yet understood, but subjectively the two substances seem entirely different.
 
23536 said:
Alcohol and amphetamine are similar to you how? I know that ethanol is a receptor whore and has a number of activities that are not yet understood, but subjectively the two substances seem entirely different.
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They are similar in the fact that they both have affinity for monoamine receptors: Serotonin, Dopamine, Norepinephrine.

Is that not clear in the first post? That's really quite basic so you should have known that in the first place.

I am wondering how is it that alcohol can also affect the same receptors that amphetamine does, and what about their chemical structures makes this so. What is the difference in the way they bind and inhibit reuptake/release monoamines, and how does their structure correlate to that?
 
Bilz0r (former mod here) has a pretty good essay on ethanol's neuropharmacology:

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/alcohol/alcohol_pharmacology1.shtml

It has this passage about serotonin:

Ethanol has also been shown to potentiate the serotonin 5-HT3 receptor. This receptor is somewhat enigmatic, but is believed to modulate excitation in some parts of the brain, and to facilitate vomiting. The ethanol concentrations that are needed to potentiate the 5-HT3 receptor are outside the range reached during recreational usage.
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This actually might be an evolutionary response to ethanol that triggers vomiting once the drinker approaches dangerous levels.
 
Here's an interesting tidbit for you: I believe that Ethyl Alcohol and AMPH are both agonists at the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor site, and this has been implicated in addictive behavior more than once. Also, gabapentin and ethanol have both been suspected of being NMDA antagonists, although I don't believe either claim has ever been fully substantiated.
 
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