Ephenidine (also known as NEDPA and EPE) is a dissociativeanesthetic that has been sold online as a designer drug.[1][2] It is illegal in some countries as a structural isomer of the banned opioid drug lefetamine, but has been sold in countries where it is not yet banned.[3][4]
Ephenidine and related diarylethylamines have been studied in vitro as treatments for neurotoxic injuries, and are antagonists of the NMDA receptor (Ki = 66.4 nM for ephenidine).[5][6][7][8][9] Ephenidine also possesses weaker affinity for dopamine and norepinephrine transporters (379 nM and 841 nM, respectively) as well as σ1R (629 nM) and σ2R (722 nM) binding sites.[10]
Pharmacokinetics[]
Metabolism[]
Ephenidine's metabolic pathway consists of N-oxidation, N-dealkylation, mono- and bis-hydroxylation of the benzene ring, and hydroxylation of the phenyl ring only after N-dealkylation. The dihydroxy metabolites were conjugated by methylation of one hydroxy group, and hydroxy metabolites by glucuronidation or sulfation.[3][11]
Chemistry[]
Ephenidine reacts with reagent testing kits to give a semi-unique array of colors which can be used to aid its identification.
Sweden's public health agency suggested that ephenidine be classified as a hazardous substance on 1 June, 2015. Due to that suggestion, ephenidine became a scheduled substance, in Sweden, as of 18 August, 2015.[13]
In Canada, MT-45 and its analogues were made Schedule I controlled substances.[14] Possession without legal authority can result in maximum 7 years imprisonment. Further, Health Canada amended the Food and Drug Regulations in May, 2016, to classify AH-7921 as a restricted drug. Only those with a law enforcement agency, a person with an exemption permit, or institutions with Minister's authorization may possess the drug.
^Morris H, Wallach J (July–August 2014). "From PCP to MXE: a comprehensive review of the non-medical use of dissociative drugs". Drug Testing and Analysis. 6 (7–8): 614–32. doi:10.1002/dta.1620. PMID24678061.
^Meyer MR, Orschiedt T, Maurer HH (February 2013). "Michaelis-Menten kinetic analysis of drugs of abuse to estimate their affinity to human P-glycoprotein". Toxicology Letters. 217 (2): 137–42. doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2012.12.012. PMID23273999.
^ abWink CS, Meyer GM, Wissenbach DK, Jacobsen-Bauer A, Meyer MR, Maurer HH (October 2014). "Lefetamine-derived designer drugs N-ethyl-1,2-diphenylethylamine (NEDPA) and N-iso-propyl-1,2-diphenylethylamine (NPDPA): metabolism and detectability in rat urine using GC-MS, LC-MSn and LC-HR-MS/MS". Drug Testing and Analysis. 6 (10): 1038–48. doi:10.1002/dta.1621. PMID24591097.
^Wink CS, Meyer GM, Meyer MR, Maurer HH (November 2015). "Toxicokinetics of lefetamine and derived diphenylethylamine designer drugs-Contribution of human cytochrome P450 isozymes to their main phase I metabolic steps". Toxicology Letters. 238 (3): 39–44. doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2015.08.012. PMID26276083.
^Berger ML, Schweifer A, Rebernik P, Hammerschmidt F (May 2009). "NMDA receptor affinities of 1,2-diphenylethylamine and 1-(1,2-diphenylethyl)piperidine enantiomers and of related compounds". Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry. 17 (9): 3456–62. doi:10.1016/j.bmc.2009.03.025. PMID19345586.
^Goodson LH, Wiegand CJ, Splitter JS (November 1946). "Analgesics; n-alkylated-1,2-diphenylethylamines prepared by the Leuckart reaction". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 68 (11): 2174–2175. doi:10.1021/ja01215a018. PMID21002222.
^Wink CS, Meyer GM, Zapp J, Maurer HH (February 2015). "Lefetamine, a controlled drug and pharmaceutical lead of new designer drugs: synthesis, metabolism, and detectability in urine and human liver preparations using GC-MS, LC-MS(n), and LC-high resolution-MS/MS". Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 407 (6): 1545–57. doi:10.1007/s00216-014-8414-3. PMID25577353. S2CID26014465.
Salvinorin A Also indirect D2 agonists, such as dopamine reuptake inhibitors (cocaine, methylphenidate), releasing agents (amphetamine, methamphetamine), and precursors (levodopa).