Synthesis and pharmacological examination of benzofuran, indan, and tetralin analogues of 3,4-(methylenedioxy)amphetamine.

Benzofuran, indan and tetrahydronaphthalene analogs of 3,4-(methylenedioxy)amphetamine (MDA) were prepared in order to examine the role of the dioxole ring oxygen atoms of MDA in interacting with the serotonin and catecholamine uptake carriers. The series of compounds was evaluated for discriminative stimulus effects in rats trained to discriminate saline from the training drugs (S)-(+)-MBDB (1c), MMAI (3), and (S)-(+)-amphetamine and for the ability to inhibit the uptake of [3H]serotonin, [3H]dopamine, and [3H]norepinephrine into crude synaptosome preparations. Behaviorally, the benzofuran and indan analogs 4-6 produced similar discriminative cues, whereas the tetralin derivative 7 did not fully substitute for the training drugs. The results in the in vitro pharmacology studies indicate that selectivity for 5-HT versus catecholamine uptake carriers may be modulated by the position and orientation of ring oxygen atoms. However, the nonoxygenated isostere 6 possessed high potency at all uptake sites examined. Enlargement of the saturated ring by one methylene unit to give the tetralin derivative resulted in a large (3-4-fold) reduction in activity at catecholamine sites.