Abstract
Amphetamine and its derivatives exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities, including psychostimulant, hallucinogenic, entactogenic, anorectic, or antidepressant effects. The mechanisms of action underlying these effects are usually related to the ability of the different amphetamines to interact with diverse monoamine transporters or receptors. Moreover, many of these compounds are also potent and selective monoamine oxidase inhibitors. In the present work, we review how structural modifications on the aromatic ring, the amino group and/or the aliphatic side chain of the parent scaffold, modulate the enzyme inhibitory properties of hundreds of amphetamine derivatives. Furthermore, we discuss how monoamine oxidase inhibition might influence the pharmacology of these compounds.
Introduction
Since its first description as “Phenisopropylamin” more than a century ago (), amphetamine (1-phenylpropan-2-amine, phenylisopropylamine, amfetamine, alpha-methylphenethylamine; AMPH; Figure 1) has received considerable attention due to its multiple psychotropic effects, first noted in the early 1930s (Prinzmetal and Bloomberg, 1935). Nowadays, AMPH is indicated for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (), narcolepsy (), and— in the form of its prodrug lisdexamfetamine— binge-eating disorder (). Its psychostimulant effects are usually related to its catecholamine-releasing properties, which arise from its ability to compete with dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) for uptake into the nerve terminals, and to induce reverse transport via the corresponding transporter (DAT and NET, respectively). Nevertheless, its polypharmacological profile involves actions upon other monoaminergic targets such as the serotonin (5-HT) transporter (SERT), the vesicular monoamine transporter and monoamine oxidase (MAO) (Sulzer et al., 2005; ).
Figure 1
A remarkable characteristic of AMPH is that subtle structural variations can produce drastic changes in its pharmacodynamics, and lead to compounds that interact differentially with several biogenic amine target proteins. Consequently, the AMPH skeleton has served as a privileged scaffold for the design and synthesis of hundreds of derivatives with many different and often useful activities, but also conveying misuse potential (; Nichols, 1994; ; Rothman and Baumann, 2003; Welter-Luedeke and Maurer, 2016). Thus, the diversity of mechanisms of action of AMPH derivatives determines a many-colored palette of pharmacological activities in humans, including psychostimulant, entactogenic, psychedelic, anorectic, nootropic, and antidepressant effects. It is noteworthy that the structural changes also modify toxicological properties and abuse liability of AMPH derivatives (; Rothman et al., 2007; Simmler et al., 2013; ).
MAO (monoamine oxygen oxidoreductase (deaminating) (flavin-containing); EC 1.4.3.4) is the main catabolic enzyme for biogenic monoamines such as NE, DA, 5-HT, and β-phenethylamine, and also for dietary and xenobiotic amines such as tyramine and benzylamine. MAO exists in two isoforms termed MAO-A and MAO-B. Both isozymes are outer mitochondrial membrane-bound flavoproteins, with the FAD cofactor covalently bound to the enzyme. The metabolic reaction involves the generation of an imine intermediate and the reduction of the flavin cofactor, which is reoxidized by molecular oxygen producing hydrogen peroxide. The imine intermediate is hydrolyzed, in a non-enzymatic process, generating ammonia and the corresponding aldehyde (Shih et al., 1999; Tipton et al., 2004; ). Although both isoforms have similar catalytic activities, they differ in their molecular genetics, physiological roles, tissue distribution, substrate preference, and inhibitor selectivity (Reyes-Parada et al., 2005). In the central nervous system, catecholaminergic neurons contain predominantly MAO-A, whereas serotonergic neurons express MAO-B (Westlund et al., 1988; Luque et al., 1995). MAO-A preferentially metabolizes 5-HT and is irreversibly inhibited by nanomolar concentrations of clorgyline, whereas MAO-B preferentially catalyzes the oxidative deamination of phenethylamine and benzylamine and is irreversibly inhibited by nanomolar concentrations of l-deprenyl. DA and NE are non-selective substrates of both isoforms (Youdim et al., 2006). MAO inhibitors (MAOI) are currently used in the treatment of diverse neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders, including depression and Parkinson's disease (; Youdim et al., 2006; ; Kumar et al., 2017). In 2002, Binda and colleagues () published a seminal article showing the high-resolution structure of human MAO-B. Subsequent structures of this enzyme (; ), as well as that of rat (Ma et al., 2004) and human MAO-A (; Son et al., 2008), have allowed detailed comparison of the overall structures of both isoforms and their active sites (; ). Thus, the substrate/inhibitor binding site of both isozymes (see Figure 2) can be described as a pocket lined by the isoalloxazine ring and several aliphatic and aromatic residues. A critical role of Y444, Y407, G215, and I180 of MAO-A (Y435, Y398, G206, and L171 being the corresponding residues in MAO-B) in the orientation and stabilization of the substrate/inhibitor binding can be inferred from the X-ray diffraction data. The availability of MAO crystal structures has allowed a quicker pace in the rational design of novel MAOIs and in the understanding of catalytic and inhibitory mechanisms. Thus, a vast number of studies in which molecular simulation approaches have been used to rationalize and/or to predict the functional interactions between the proteins and their substrates or inhibitors have been reported recently (; Vianello et al., 2016; ; ).
Figure 2
In the following pages, we review the effects of several dozen AMPH derivatives upon MAOs and describe, through the analysis of a set of representative examples, how structural modifications on the aromatic ring, the amino group and/or the aliphatic side chain of the parent scaffold, modulate the enzyme inhibitory properties of this type of compounds.
General Nature of Mao Inhibition by Amph Derivatives
Since the first pharmacological study more than 50 years ago proving the existence of the two enzyme isoforms (
Table 1
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAOI Activity IC50(Ki)a (µM) | |||||||||||
| Compoundb | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Rα1 | Rα2 | RN1 | RN2 | MAO-A | MAO-B |
| (+)-Amphetamine | H | H | H | H | H | CH3 | H | H | H | 20.0c;4.9d;33.8e | 770c;118d;161e |
| Amphetamine | H | H | H | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 11.0f(5.3g) | 236g | |
| (-)-Amphetamine | H | H | H | H | H | H | CH3 | H | H | 70.0c;203e | 600c;180e |
| Methamphetamine | H | H | H | H | H | HCH3 | CH3 | H | 41h(17.2g) | > 200h(297)g | |
| Phentermine | H | H | H | H | H | CH3 | CH3 | H | H | 143i(88d;196g) | 285i(310d;138g) |
| AEPEA | H | H | H | H | H | HCH2CH3 | H | H | 14.0g | 234g | |
| N,α-DEPEA | H | H | H | H | H | HCH2CH3 | CH2CH3 | H | 251g | 159g | |
| Amiflamine/(+)-FLA336 | CH3 | H | N(CH3)2 | H | H | CH3 | H | H | H | 0.8j;2.0f | > 1000j |
| FLA336 | CH3 | H | N(CH3)2 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 2.7k | 440k | |
| (-)-FLA336 | CH3 | H | N(CH3)2 | H | H | H | CH3 | H | H | 3.0j | 125l |
| FLA289 | H | H | N(CH3)2 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 3.7l;2.0m | 400l | |
| FLA727 | H | H | NHCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 0.55l-1.2m | 1500l | |
| (+)-FLA788 | CH3 | H | NHCH3 | H | H | CH3 | H | H | H | 0.13j | > 1000j |
| FLA558 | F | H | N(CH3)2 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 1.2k | 120k | |
| FLA314 | Cl | H | N(CH3)2 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 0.21k | 80k | |
| FLA405 | Br | H | N(CH3)2 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 0.22k | 100k | |
| FLA365 | Cl | H | N(CH3)2 | H | Cl | HCH3 | H | H | 0.013l | 180l | |
| FLA450 | Cl | H | N(CH3)2 | H | H | HCH2CH3 | H | H | 0.38k | 75k | |
| FLA463 | Cl | H | N(CH3)2 | H | H | CH3 | CH3 | H | H | 1.2k | 700k |
| FLA717 | CH3 | H | N(CH3)2 | H | H | CH3 | CH3 | H | H | 12.0k | 2100k |
| FLA384 | H | CH3 | N(CH3)2 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 8.0l | 650l | |
| (+)NBF003 | CH3 | H | N(CH3)2 | Br | H | CH3 | H | H | H | 1.1l | 480l |
MAO inhibitory activity of AMPH derivatives and amiflamine analogues.
aIC50 and/or Ki are reported, depending on the reference considered. bChemical name and/or common acronym and/or common name is given. When not indicated, the compound is the racemic mixture. cMantle et al., 1976. dUlus et al., 2000. eRobinson, 1985. fScorza et al., 1997.gSantillo, 2014. hMatsumoto et al., 2014. iKilpatrick et al., 2001. j
Table 2
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAOI Activity IC50(Ki)a (µM) | |||||||||||
| Compoundb | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Rα1 | Rα2 | RN1 | RN2 | MAO-A | MAO-B |
| PMA/4-MeOA | H | H | OCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 0.3c;0.6d(0.2e) | 45d(530e) | |
| 2-MeOA | OCH3 | H | H | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 9.0e | 350e | |
| 3-MeOA | H | OCH3 | H | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 23e | 1940e | |
| PMMA | H | H | OCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | CH3 | H | 1.7d | 58d | |
| 4-EtOA | H | H | OCH2CH3 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 0.22f | > 100f | |
| 4-PrOA | H | H | O(CH2)2CH3 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 0.13f | > 100f | |
| 4-BuOA | H | H | O(CH2)3CH3 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 0.32f | > 100f | |
| 4-BzOA | H | H | OCH2Phe | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 3.42f | 0.71f | |
| MTA | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 0.25g | NEg | |
| (+)-MTA | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | CH3 | H | H | H | 0.13h | NEh |
| (-)-MTA | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | H | CH3 | H | H | 2.04g | NEg |
| NMMTA | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | CH3 | H | 0.89g | NEg | |
| DMMTA | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | CH3 | CH3 | 2.10g | NEg | |
| NEMTA | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | CH2CH3 | H | 1.80g | NEg | |
| DEMTA | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | CH2CH3 | CH2CH3 | 6.45g | NEg | |
| NPMTA | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | (CH2)2CH3 | H | 2.41g | > 10g | |
| DPMTA | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | (CH2)2CH3 | (CH2)2CH3 | > 10g | NEg | |
| NBzMTA | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | CH2Phe | H | > 100f | > 100f | |
| MTAB | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | HCH2CH3 | H | H | 0.84g | NEg | |
| ETA | H | H | SCH2CH3 | H | H | HCH2CH3 | H | H | 0.10c | 29c | |
| (+)-ETA | H | H | SCH2CH3 | H | H | CH3 | H | H | H | 0.075h | > 100h |
| (+)-PTA | H | H | S(CH2)2CH3 | H | H | CH3 | H | H | H | 0.030h | 14.0h |
| ITA | H | H | SCH(CH3)2 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 0.40c | 8.1c | |
| (+)-BTA | H | H | S(CH2)3CH3 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 0.022h | 4.6h | |
| MSOA | H | H | SOCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | > 100i | NT | |
| MSO2A | H | H | SO2CH3 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | > 100i | NT | |
| PCA/p-Chloroamphetamine | H | H | Cl | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 4.0c;1.9j | NEc | |
| PBA/p-Bromoamphetamine | H | H | Br | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 1.5j | NT | |
| PFA/p-Fluoroamphetamine | H | H | F | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 16j | NT | |
| POHA | H | H | OH | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 24.0k | NEk | |
| (+)-Fenfluramine | H | CF3 | H | H | H | CH3 | H | CH2CH3 | H | 256l | 800l |
| Fenfluramine | H | CF3 | H | H | H | HCH3 | CH2CH3 | H | 440m | 720m | |
| (-)-Fenfluramine | H | CF3 | H | H | H | H | CH3 | CH2CH3 | H | 115l | 685l |
| (+)-Norfenfluramine | H | CF3 | H | H | H | CH3 | H | H | H | 36l | 160l |
MAO inhibitory activity of AMPH derivatives monosubstituted in the aromatic ring.
aIC50 and/or Ki are reported, depending on the reference considered. bChemical name and/or common acronym and/or common name is given. When not indicated the compound is the racemic mixture. cScorza et al., 1997. dMatsumoto et al., 2014. e
Table 3
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAOI Activity IC50a (µM) | ||||||||||
| Compoundb | Rβ | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Rα1 | Rα2 | MAO-A | MAO-B |
| Cathinone | =O | H | H | H | H | H | HCH3 | NE | NE | |
| 4-MetOCat | =O | H | H | OCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 77.0 | NE | |
| 4-EtOCat | =O | H | H | OCH2CH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 37.0 | > 100 | |
| 4-PropOCat | =O | H | H | O(CH2)2CH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 7.2 | 8.9 | |
| 4-ButOCat | =O | H | H | O(CH2)3CH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 14.4 | 6.0 | |
| (+)4-ButOCat | =O | H | H | O(CH2)3CH3 | H | H | CH3 | H | 29.5 | 5.6 |
| (-)4-ButOCat | =O | H | H | O(CH2)3CH3 | H | H | H | CH3 | 6.8 | 6.4 |
| 4-MetSCat | =O | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 45.0 | > 100 | |
| (+)4-MetSCat | =O | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | CH3 | H | 44.5 | > 100 |
| (-)4-MetSCat | =O | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | H | CH3 | 38.9 | NT |
| 4-EtSCat | =O | H | H | S CH2CH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 15.1 | > 100 | |
| (+)4-EtSCat | =O | H | H | S CH2CH3 | H | H | CH3 | H | 12.9 | > 100 |
| (-)4-EtSCat | =O | H | H | S CH2CH3 | H | H | H | CH3 | 38.0 | NT |
| 4-MetONEPhe | OH | H | H | OCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 9.8 | NE | |
| 4-EtONEPhe | OH | H | H | O CH2CH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 7.0 | NE | |
| 4-PropONEPhe | OH | H | H | O (CH2)2CH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 2.8 | 100 | |
| 4-ButONEPhe | OH | H | H | O (CH2)3CH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 4.7 | 65 | |
| 4-OHNEPhe | OH | H | H | OH | H | H | HCH3 | 220.0c | NEc | |
| 4-MetSNEPhe | OH | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 7.3 | NE | |
| 4-EtSNEPhe | OH | H | H | S CH2CH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 1.9 | > 100 | |
| 4-PropSNEPhe | OH | H | H | S (CH2)2CH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 1.7 | > 100 | |
| BMetOA | OCH3 | H | H | H | H | H | HCH3 | > 100 | > 100 | |
| B,4DMetOA | OCH3 | H | H | OCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 77.5 | > 100 | |
| BMetSA | OCH3 | H | H | SCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | 50.6 | > 100 | |
MAO inhibitory activity of β-substituted AMPH derivatives.
aUnless stated, IC50 values are from Osorio-Olivares et al., 2004. bChemical name and/or common acronym and/or common name is given. When not indicated the compound is the racemic mixture. c
Table 4
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAOI Activity IC50(Ki)a (µM) | ||||||||||||
| Compoundb | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Rα1 | Rα2 | RN1 | RN2 | MAO-A | MAO-B | |
| 2,4-DMA | OCH3 | H | OCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 0.6c | NEc | ||
| 3,4-DMA | H | OCH3 | OCH3 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 20c | NEc | ||
| 2,5-DMA | OCH3 | H | H | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | > 100f | NEf | ||
| 3,4,5-TMA | H | OCH3 | OCH3 | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | NEc;NId | NEc;NId | ||
| 2,4,5-TMA | OCH3 | H | OCH3 | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | NEc | NEc | ||
| 2,4,6-TMA | OCH3 | H | OCH3 | H | OCH3 | HCH3 | H | H | 0.4e | NEe | ||
| 2-Br-DMA | Br | H | OCH3 | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | 9.3c | NEc | ||
| 5-Br-DMA | OCH3 | H | OCH3 | Br | H | HCH3 | H | H | 13.0c | NEc | ||
| 2-NO2-DMA | NO2 | H | OCH3 | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | NEc | NEc | ||
| 6-Cl-DMA | OCH3 | H | OCH3 | H | Cl | HCH3 | H | H | 0.07e | NEe | ||
| ALEPH-1 | OCH3 | H | SCH3 | OCH3 | OCH3 | HCH3 | H | H | 5.1c | NEc | ||
| ALEPH-2 | OCH3 | H | SCH2CH3 | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | 3.2c | NEc | ||
| 4-PrS-DMA | OCH3 | H | S(CH2)2CH3 | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | 2.4e | NEe | ||
| 4-BuS-DMA | OCH3 | H | S(CH2)3CH3 | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | 2.9e | NEe | ||
| 4-PentS-DMA | OCH3 | H | S(CH2)4CH3 | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | 14.3e | NEe | ||
| 2,5-DM-MTAB | OCH3 | H | SCH3 | OCH3 | H | HCH2CH3 | H | H | 30.9e | NEe | ||
| 2,5-DM-ETAB | OCH3 | H | SCH2CH3 | OCH3 | H | HCH2CH3 | H | H | 11.8e | NEe | ||
| 2,6-DM-MTA | OCH3 | H | SCH3 | H | OCH3 | HCH3 | H | H | 0.30e | NEe | ||
| 2,6-DM-ETA | OCH3 | H | SCH2CH3 | H | OCH3 | HCH3 | H | H | 0.08e | NEe | ||
| 4-ESO-2,5-DMA | OCH3 | H | SOCH3 | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | > 100f | NT | ||
| 4-ESO2-2,5-DMA | OCH3 | H | SO2CH3 | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | NEf | NT | ||
| DOM | OCH3 | H | CH3 | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | 24.0c | NEc | ||
| DOI | OCH3 | H | I | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | 24c;37d | NEc | ||
| DOB | OCH3 | H | Br | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | 100c | NEc | ||
| DON | OCH3 | H | NO2 | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | NEc | NEc | ||
| DOTFM | OCH3 | H | CF3 | OCH3 | H | HCH3 | H | H | NEc | NEc | ||
| MDA | H | CH2-O-CH2 | H | H | HCH3 | H | H | 9.3c(8.5g) | NEc | |||
| 2Br-MDA | Br | H | CH2-O-CH2 | H | HCH3 | H | H | 13.0c | 64.0c | |||
| 2Cl-MDA | Cl | H | CH2-O-CH2 | H | HCH3 | H | H | 6.3c | 38.0c | |||
| 2NO2-MDA | NO2 | H | CH2-O-CH2 | H | HCH3 | H | H | NEc | NEc | |||
| MDMA | H | CH2-O-CH2 | H | H | HCH3 | CH3 | H | 30c(24.7g) | NEc | |||
| (+)-MDMA | H | CH2-O-CH2 | H | H | CH3 | H | CH3 | H | 44h(22h) | 370h | ||
| (-)-MDMA | H | CH2-O-CH2 | H | H | H | CH3 | CH3 | H | 56h(28.3h) | 378h | ||
MAO inhibitory activity of AMPH derivatives polysubstituted in the aromatic ring.
aIC50 and/or Ki are reported, depending on the reference considered. bChemical name and/or common acronym and/or common name is given. When not indicated the compound is the racemic mixture. cScorza et al., 1997. dMatsumoto et al., 2014. e
Table 5
![]() | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| MAOI Activity IC50(Ki)a (µM) | |||
| Compoundb | Ar | MAO-A | MAO-B |
| NIPA/PAL-287 | ![]() | 0.42c | > 100c |
| 6-MeO-NIPA | ![]() | 0.18c | 16.3c |
| 6-EtO-NIPA | ![]() | 0.45c | 13.6c |
| 6-PrO-NIPA | ![]() | 0.68c | 13.5c |
| 6-BuO-NIPA | ![]() | 1.53c | NT |
| 6-MeS-NIPA | ![]() | 0.50c | NT |
| 2-Benzofuryl-IPA | ![]() | 0.80d | > 100d |
| AMT | ![]() | 0.38e | > 10e |
| 4-MeO-AMT | ![]() | 1.4e | > 10e |
| 5-MeO-AMT | ![]() | 31e | > 10e |
| 5-Me-AMT | ![]() | 1.5e | > 10e |
| 5-F-AMT | ![]() | 0.45e(0.032f) | 376e(575f) |
| 5-Cl-AMT | ![]() | 0.25e | 82e |
| 7-Me-AMT | ![]() | 0.049e | > 10e |
MAO inhibitory activity of some AMPH derivatives containing aromatic systems larger than benzene.
aIC50 and/or Ki are reported, depending on the reference considered. bChemical name and/or common acronym and/or common name is given. cVilches-Herrera et al., 2009. dVallejos et al., 2005. eWagmann et al., 2017. fKinemuchi et al., 1988. NT, Not tested. Ar, Aromatic ring. *: This symbol denotes where, in the aromatic ring, the aliphatic side chain is linked. Me, Methyl; Et, Ethyl; Pr, Propyl; Bu, Butyl.
Despite these considerations, some general conclusions about the MAO inhibitory activity of AMPH derivatives can be established. Thus, in the vast majority of the cases in which a relevant inhibitory activity was detected, this effect shows a clear selectivity towards MAO-A (e.g. Mantle et al., 1976;
Structure-Activity Relationships of Amph Derivatives as Maoi
Modifications of the Side Chain
The presence of a methyl group on the α-carbon atom of phenethylamine transforms this compound, which is a selective MAO-B substrate, into AMPH which is a selective MAO-A inhibitor. This substrate-to-inhibitor change has also been reported for other phenethylamine/AMPH derivative pairs (e.g.
Figure 3

Chemical structures and MAO parameters of some phenethylamine/AMPH derivative pairs. aYoudim et al., 2006. bScorza et al., 1997. cReyes-Parada et al., 1994b. dReyes-Parada et al., 1994a.
Figure 4

Chemical structures and MAO-A IC50 of some α-substituted AMPH derivatives. aSantillo, 2014. b
As shown in Tables 1, 2, and 4, in most of the instances in which the dependence of enzyme inhibition on the chirality of the α-carbon atom has been tested, it has been found that the (S)-(+)-AMPH derivatives are the eutomers as MAOI-A (Mantle et al., 1976;
Figure 5

Chemical structures and MAO-A IC50 of some enantiomerically pure AMPH derivatives. a
Given the notoriety that the recreational use of cathinone derivatives has reached in the last few years (Simmler et al., 2013; Paillet-Loilier et al., 2014;
Figure 6

Chemical structures and MAO-A IC50 of some β-keto substituted AMPH derivatives. aScorza et al., 1997. bOsorio-Olivares et al., 2004. c
N-Substitution
Relatively few amino group substituents have been studied in AMPH derivatives regarding their influence upon MAOI potency. In general terms, any N-substitution leads to a decrease in the activity of the compound as a MAOI-A. Thus, the N-methyl derivatives of AMPH, MTA, p-methoxyAMPH (PMA), and 3,4-methylenedioxyAMPH (MDA)— i.e. methamphetamine, NMMTA, PMMA, and MDMA respectively— have about one-third the inhibitory potency of their corresponding primary amine congeners (Scorza et al., 1997;
Figure 7

Chemical structures and MAO-A IC50 of some N-substituted AMPH derivatives. a
Aromatic Ring Substitution
Even though some aliphatic MAO substrates and inhibitors have been identified (Yu et al., 1994; Yu et al., 1995; Kalgutkar et al., 2001), most studies have shown that the presence of an aromatic ring is essential for potent MAOI activity (Wouters, 1998; Kalgutkar et al., 2001; Tripathi et al., 2018;
Figure 8

Chemical structures and MAO-A IC50 of some p-substituted AMPH derivatives. a
Figure 9

Chemical structures and MAO-A IC50 of some p-alkylthio AMPH derivatives. aScorza et al., 1997. b
Figure 10

Chemical structures and MAO-A IC50 of some p-methoxy AMPH derivatives. IC50 values are from Scorza et al., 1997. NE, No effect.
The expansion of the aromatic ring of AMPH is an additional modification that has yielded interesting results and potent and selective MAOIs-A (Table 5). This could have been anticipated considering that: a) the structure of 5-HT, one of the natural substrates of MAO-A, contains an indolyl moiety instead a simple benzene ring and; b) the electron-richness of the aromatic ring seems to be an important molecular determinant for MAO-A affinity (Vallejos et al., 2002), and therefore aromatic systems larger than benzene might establish stronger π-type interactions with aromatic and non-aromatic residues present in the active site of the protein. Accordingly, for example 2-naphthylisopropylamine (NIPA, also known as PAL-287; Rothman et al., 2005) and its methoxylated or methylthio derivatives (Vilches-Herrera et al., 2009), 2-benzofurylisopropylamine (Vallejos et al., 2005) or several α-methyltryptamine derivatives (Kinemuchi et al., 1988; Wagmann et al., 2017) have been shown to be highly selective MAOI-A, much more potent than AMPH (Table 5). Both electronic and steric factors have been invoked to explain the higher activity of AMPH derivatives containing aromatic rings larger than benzene (Vallejos et al., 2005; Vilches-Herrera et al., 2009). Thus, π systems with an increased electron-donating capacity, softer and/or more polarizable as compared with benzene, might favor charge-transfer (Vallejos et al., 2002) and/or π-stacking interactions (
Summary of Structure-Activity Relationships and Implications of Maoi Properties for the Overall Pharmacology of Amph Derivatives
Potent, selective, and competitive MAO-A inhibitory properties are found in many AMPH derivatives. This is likely due to the structural similarity of this type of compounds with physiological substrates, which allows AMPH derivatives to occupy, and consequently block the access of any substrate into the active site of the enzyme.
Although not extensively studied, in general the introduction of diverse substituents on either the amino group or the side chain of the basic AMPH skeleton leads to compounds with lower affinity as compared with the parent counterparts. Furthermore, several studies have shown that (S)-(+)-AMPH derivatives are the eutomers for MAO inhibition. Besides, as aromatic interactions in the active site of the enzyme seem to be critical for inhibition, substituents at this portion of the AMPH structure greatly modulate its potency. In general, electron-donor substituents at the para position of the aromatic ring generate potent MAOI-A, while substituents adjacent to this position decrease activity. In addition, replacement of the benzene ring by larger π systems exhibiting an increased electron-donating capacity, generates compounds with higher MAOI potency.
Even though MAO inhibition has been demonstrated for several AMPH derivatives, this is often considered not relevant for their global effect, since their affinity for MAO is usually weak compared to affinity for their main pharmacological targets (i.e. monoamine transporters or receptors). This is most likely true in the case of compounds such as the anti-obesity agents phentermine and fenfluramine (Kilpatrick et al., 2001; Nandigama et al., 2002), or the hallucinogenic drugs DOI and DOB (Nichols, 2018), whose ability either to evoke monoamine release or to activate 5-HT receptors exceeds by several orders of magnitude their potency as MAOIs. However, in the case of monoamine releasing agents such as PMA or MTA, their potency upon their main protein targets (i.e. SERT and DAT) is remarkably similar to that reported for MAO-A (
Concluding Remarks
Although many AMPH derivatives have been tested as MAOI, the structural diversity of such compounds is relatively limited. This calls for a broader exploration of the chemical space around the parent scaffold in the search of compounds with novel properties, in which MAOI properties might or might not be pursued. As known and unknown AMPH derivatives are usually attractive for illicit purposes (production, marketing, and/or consumption), it seems very relevant to evaluate in every case the possible MAOI activity of these drugs, since it may convey dangerous consequences for uninformed users.
Regarding the mechanism of enzyme inhibition, insofar as a crystal structure of MAO in complex with some AMPH derivative is not available, molecular simulation appears as one of the most reliable tools to study this issue. Nevertheless, most of current information has been obtained through docking studies, without resorting to molecular dynamics simulations that consume much more computer time, and therefore models generated still require a further validation. In addition, several reports indicate that MAOI profiles differ if enzymes from human or other species are used (not only for AMPH derivatives). Hence, inferences regarding possible effects in humans should be most cautious when data are obtained initially in animal models. Moreover, in comparison to recent characterizations of the monoamine transporter and receptor interactions of amphetamines (Simmler et al., 2013; Luethi and Liechti, 2018), the MAO inhibiting properties have not been investigated using the same assays across a larger range of substances. Therefore, comparative analyses should be done cautiously when considering results obtained under different experimental conditions
Beyond these considerations, in our view it is clear that AMPH derivatives can act as MAOI and that this activity should be taken into account when analyzing the overall pharmacodynamics of these structurally versatile compounds.
Funding
The constant support of FONDECYT, in particular grants 1170662 (MR-P), 1150615 (PI-V), and 1150868 (BKC), is gratefully acknowledged.
Statements
Author contributions
All authors equally contributed to the writing of this manuscript.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to all the colleagues who have contributed over the years to the studies carried out in our laboratories on the MAOI properties of AMPH derivatives. We also thank Dr. Patricia Möller-Acuña for her valuable help in doing measurements and preparing Figure 2.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Abbreviations
AMPH, amphetamine; DA, dopamine; NE, norepinephrine; DAT, dopamine transporter; NET, norepinephrine transporter; 5-HT, serotonin; SERT, serotonin transporter; MAO, monoamine oxidase; FAD, flavin adenine dinucleotide; MAOI, monoamine oxidase inhibitor; MTA, 4-methylthioamphetamine; PMA, p-methoxyamphetamine; MDA, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; NMMTA, 4-methylthiomethamphetamine; PMMA, p-methoxymethamphetamine; MDMA, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; FLA727, p-methylaminoamphetamine; MSOA, p-methylsulfoxyamphetamine; MSO2A, p-methylsulfonylamphetamine; PCA, p-chloroamphetamine; PBA, p-bromoamphetamine; PFA, p-fluoroamphetamine; FLA289, p-dimethylaminoamphetamine; NIPA, 2-naphthylisopropylamine (also known as PAL-287); DOI, 4-iodo-2,5,-dimethoxyamphetamine; DOB, 4-bromo-2,5,-dimethoxyamphetamine.
Footnotes
1.^It should be noted that we do not review here irreversible inhibitors such as deprenyl or tranylcypromine. These compounds and their analogues can also be considered as AMPH derivatives, but due to particular structural characteristics (the presence either of a propargyl moiety on the amino group or a cyclopropyl ring involving the α and β carbons of the side chain, respectively), they are suicide substrates that can form covalent adducts with the flavin ring of the enzyme's cofactor. This characteristic leads to an irreversible mode of inhibition and generates completely different structure-activity relationships. These have been analyzed elsewhere (e.g. Magyar, 1994; Yoshida et al., 2004; Malcomson et al., 2015) and the reader is also referred to the literature (
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Summary
Keywords
monoamine oxidase, amphetamine derivatives, serotonin syndrome, serotonin transporter, dopamine transporter, norepinephrine transporter, monoamine oxidase-A
Citation
Reyes-Parada M, Iturriaga-Vasquez P and Cassels BK (2020) Amphetamine Derivatives as Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors. Front. Pharmacol. 10:1590. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01590
Received
14 September 2019
Accepted
09 December 2019
Published
23 January 2020
Volume
10 - 2019
Edited by
Juan J. Canales, University of Tasmania, Australia
Reviewed by
David Pubill, University of Barcelona, Spain; Matthias E. Liechti, University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland
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© 2020 Reyes-Parada, Iturriaga-Vasquez and Cassels.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Miguel Reyes-Parada, miguel.reyes@usach.cl
This article was submitted to Neuropharmacology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology
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