Synthesis and evaluation of a novel series of N,N-dimethylisotryptamines.

A novel series of N,N-dimethylisotryptamine (isoDMT) derivatives, i.e., derivatives of 1-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]indole, was prepared and found to be isosteric with their corresponding N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) counterparts with respect to serotonin receptor (rat fundus) affinity. Whereas the isoDMT derivatives possessed a greater affinity than did their corresponding DMT derivatives, they were relatively ineffective in displacing [3H]-5-HT binding from rat brain (cortex) homogenates. In a drug discrimination paradigm, using rats as subjects, 6-OMe-isoDMT produced effects similar to those of 5-OMe-DMT. Attempts to antagonize the discriminative stimulus effects of the hallucinogen 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylphenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOM) using two of the isoDMT derivatives proved unsuccessful.