N-methyl derivatives of the 5-HT2 agonist 1-(4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-aminopropane.

1-(4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOB) is a serotonin (5-HT) agonist that displays a high affinity and selectivity for a certain population of central 5-HT binding sites (i.e., 5-HT2 sites). In the present study, (a) an enantiomeric potency comparison was made for the optical isomers of DOB and (b) the activity of N-monomethyl-,N,N-dimethyl-, and N,N,N-trimethyl-DOB was examined. (R)-(-)-DOB (Ki = 0.39 nM) was found to have 6 times greater affinity than its S-(+) enantiomer at [3H]DOB-labeled (rat cortical homogenates) 5-HT2 sites; N-methylation of racemic DOB resulted in a decrease in affinity that was at least 1 order of magnitude per methyl group. Similar results were obtained in an in vivo drug discrimination paradigm with rats as subjects and (R)-(-)-DOB (0.2 mg/kg) as the training drug. Thus, the R-(-) isomer of DOB is more active than its S-(+) enantiomer and than any of the possible N-methyl derivatives of DOB, both with respect to affinity at central 5-HT2 binding sites and with respect to potency in the behavioral (i.e., stimulus generalization) studies.