Alpha Disubstituted Tryptamines

[nuke]

                  Table 1
    ______________________________________
    .alpha.-Substituents
              Toxicity  Anorexia  Therapeutic Index
              LD 50     ED 50     (LD 50
              Mouse, oral
                        Rat, oral ED 50)
              mg/kg     mg/kg
    ______________________________________
    Methyl, ethyl
               700      15        47
    Ethyl, ethyl
               620      >50       <12
    Methyl, propyl
               530      approx. 50
                                  approx. 11
    Propyl, propyl
               900      >>50      <<18
    known comparison substance:
    Methyl, methyl
               320      36        9
    ______________________________________

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3947584.html

These seem to keep rats from eating.

 

[hussness]

Anyone have any physiological theories to explain this?

 

[nuke]

My guess is that the compounds are a weird mix of serotonin agonizing and antagonizing properties. Probably would be interesting assays. The fact that the ethyl,methyl substitution is more potent than the dimethyl (basically, the phentermine version of AMT) certainly piques my curiousity. I'd guess it also lacks the monoamine releasing abilities of the non-disubstituted counterparts.