Abstract
Fenfluramine is a phenethylamine compound with a structure similar to that of amphetamine. These two structurally similar compounds possess several major differences in pharmacologic properties, especially with regard to their effects on the central nervous system. d-Amphetamine produced a dose-related increase of spontaneous motor activity (SMA) in mice; however, dl-fenfluramine decreased the SMA in a dose-related manner. Biocimemical studies revealed that dl-fenfluramine decreased the content of norepinephrine and dopamine in mouse and rat brain. Pretreatment of mice with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor reversed the effect of dl-fenfluramine from one of significant decrease of SMA to one of a marked increase of SMA; however, the ability of d-amphetamine to increase SMA of mice was enhanced by prior monoamine oxidase inhibition. These data suggest that d-amphetamine and dl-fenfluramine differ in their interaction with central adrenergic neurons to produce their respective SMA effects in mice.
Footnotes
- Received July 13, 1970.
- Accepted August 30, 1971.
- © 1972, by The Williams & Wilkins Company
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