Lably
Skip to content

3-Chloroamphetamine

Serotonergic neurotoxin

  • 1 min read
  • 1 chapters

Explore on Lably

ToursExplore Lably’s 3D tours

The drug is a potent serotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine releasing agent (SNDRA). Its EC50Tooltip half-maximal effective concentration values for induction of monoamine release are 9.4 nM for norepinephrine, 11.8 nM for dopamine, and 120 nM for serotonin. Hence, 3-CA shows around 10-fold preference for induction of catecholamine release over induction of serotonin release.

3-CA produces the head-twitch response in rodents similarly to PCA.

3-CA is closely related to the potent serotonergic neurotoxin PCA. In contrast to PCA, 3-CA produced no serotonergic neurotoxicity in rodents. However, this was found to be due to rapid metabolism via para-hydroxylation. When the metabolism of 3-CA was inhibited, the drug produced approximately equivalent serotonergic neurotoxicity to PCA.

More in Neuroscience

StriatumNucleus in the basal ganglia of the brainBrain-derived neurotrophic factorProtein found in humansOrbitofrontal cortexRegion of the prefrontal cortex of the brainVentral tegmental areaGroup of neurons on the floor of the midbrainSlow-wave sleepPeriod of sleep in humans and other animalsVascular endothelial growth factorProtein involved in blood vessel growth