Phenylethylamine and 5-Hydroxytryptamine Function

Abstract

Phenylethylamine (PE) is implicated in a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders although in most cases the evidence for its involvement is at best circumstantial. However, PE does have profound behavioural effects on administration to experimental animals. Pharmacological studies indicate that the monoamine neurotransmitter systems may mediate these effects; recently 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) has been proposed to have a particular role in this respect. PE, but not its methylated derivative amphetamine, appears to exhibit a direct agonist action on 5-HT systems.

The effects of PE on the displacement of ligand binding to 5-HT₁ and 5-HT₂ receptors using human brain tissue preparations are reported, and compared with the effects of amphetamines and some similar neuroactive drugs.