''meta''-Chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) is a

psychoactive drug A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, psychoactive agent or psychotropic drug is a chemical substance, that changes functions of the nervous system, and results in alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition or behavior. ...

of the

phenylpiperazine 1-Phenylpiperazine is a simple chemical compound featuring a phenyl group bound to a piperazine ring. The suffix ‘-piprazole’ is sometimes used in the names of drugs to indicate they belong to this class. List phenylpiperazine derivativesAlpe ...

class. It was initially developed in the late-1970s and used in

scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has characterized the development of science since at least the 17th century (with notable practitioners in previous centuries; see the article history of scientific m ...

before being sold as a

designer drug A designer drug is a structural or functional analog of a controlled substance that has been designed to mimic the pharmacological effects of the original drug, while avoiding classification as illegal and/or detection in standard drug tests. Des ...

in the mid-2000s. It has been detected in pills touted as legal alternatives to illicit

stimulant Stimulants (also often referred to as psychostimulants or colloquially as uppers) is an overarching term that covers many drugs including those that increase activity of the central nervous system and the body, drugs that are pleasurable and inv ...

s in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and pills sold as " ecstasy" in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Despite its advertisement as a recreational substance, mCPP is actually generally considered to be an unpleasant experience and is not desired by drug users. It lacks any

reinforcing In behavioral psychology, reinforcement is a consequence applied that will strengthen an organism's future behavior whenever that behavior is preceded by a specific antecedent stimulus. This strengthening effect may be measured as a higher freq ...

effects, but has "psychostimulant, anxiety-provoking, and hallucinogenic effects." It is also known to produce

dysphoric Dysphoria (; ) is a profound state of unease or dissatisfaction. It is the semantic opposite of euphoria. In a psychiatric context, dysphoria may accompany depression, anxiety, or agitation. In psychiatry Intense states of distress and unea ...

, depressive, and

anxiogenic An anxiogenic or panicogenic substance is one that causes anxiety. This effect is in contrast to anxiolytic agents, which inhibits anxiety. Together these categories of psychoactive compounds may be referred to as anxiotropic compounds. Anxiogen ...

effects in rodents and humans, and can induce

panic attack Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear and discomfort that may include palpitations, sweating, chest pain or chest discomfort, shortness of breath, trembling, dizziness, numbness, confusion, or a feeling of impending doom or of losing ...

s in individuals susceptible to them. It also worsens obsessive–compulsive symptoms in people with the disorder. mCPP is known to induce

headache Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches. Headaches can occur as a result ...

s in humans and has been used for testing potential

antimigraine Antimigraine drugs are medications intended to reduce the effects or intensity of migraine headache. They include drugs for the treatment of acute migraine symptoms as well as drugs for the prevention of migraine attacks. Treatment of acute symp ...

medications. It has potent

anorectic An anorectic or anorexic is a drug which reduces appetite, resulting in lower food consumption, leading to weight loss. By contrast, an appetite stimulant is referred to as orexigenic. The term is (from the Greek ''ἀν-'' (an-) = "without" a ...

effects and has encouraged the development of selective 5-HT_2C receptor

agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the ago ...

s for the treatment of

obesity Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's we ...

as well.

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

mCPP possesses significant

affinity Affinity may refer to: Commerce, finance and law * Affinity (law), kinship by marriage * Affinity analysis, a market research and business management technique * Affinity Credit Union, a Saskatchewan-based credit union * Affinity Equity Partn ...

for the 5-HT_1A, 5-HT_1B, 5-HT_1D, 5-HT_2A, 5-HT_2B, 5-HT_2C, 5-HT₃, and 5-HT₇ receptors, as well as the SERT. It also has some affinity for α₁-adrenergic, α₂-adrenergic, H₁, I₁, and

NET Net or net may refer to: Mathematics and physics * Net (mathematics), a filter-like topological generalization of a sequence * Net, a linear system of divisors of dimension 2 * Net (polyhedron), an arrangement of polygons that can be folded up ...

. It behaves as an

at most serotonin receptors. mCPP has been shown to act not only as a

serotonin reuptake inhibitor A serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) is a type of drug which acts as a reuptake inhibitor of the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) by blocking the action of the serotonin transporter (SERT). This in turn leads to increase ...

but as a

serotonin releasing agent A serotonin releasing agent (SRA) is a type of drug that induces the release of serotonin into the neuronal synaptic cleft. A selective serotonin releasing agent (SSRA) is an SRA with less significant or no efficacy in producing neurotransmitter e ...

as well. mCPP's strongest actions are at the 5-HT_2B and 5-HT_2C receptors and its discriminative cue is mediated primarily by 5-HT_2C. Its negative effects such as

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...

s, and

appetite loss Anorexia is a medical term for a loss of appetite. While the term in non-scientific publications is often used interchangeably with anorexia nervosa, many possible causes exist for a loss of appetite, some of which may be harmless, while others i ...

are likely mediated by its actions on the 5-HT_2C receptor. Other effects of mCPP include

nausea Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. While not painful, it can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the ...

hypoactivity Hypoactivity is an inhibition of behavioral or locomotor activity. Hypoactivity is a characteristic effect of sedative agents and many centrally acting anesthetics. Other drugs such as antipsychotics and mCPP also produce this effect, often as a ...

, and

penile erection An erection (clinically: penile erection or penile tumescence) is a physiological phenomenon in which the penis becomes firm, engorged, and enlarged. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, vascular, ...

, the latter two the result of increased 5-HT_2C activity and the former likely via 5-HT₃ stimulation. In comparison studies, mCPP has approximately 10-fold

selectivity Selectivity may refer to: Psychology and behaviour * Choice, making a selection among options * Discrimination, the ability to recognize differences * Socioemotional selectivity theory, in social psychology Engineering * Selectivity (radio), a ...

for the human 5-HT_2C receptor over the human 5-HT_2A and 5-HT_2B receptors (K_i = 3.4 nM vs. 32.1 and 28.8 nM). It acts as a

partial agonist In pharmacology, partial agonists are drugs that bind to and activate a given receptor, but have only partial efficacy at the receptor relative to a full agonist. They may also be considered ligands which display both agonistic and antagonistic e ...

of the human 5-HT_2A and 5-HT_2C receptors but as an

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist. Etymology The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...

of the human 5-HT_2B receptors.

Pharmacokinetics

mCPP is

metabolized Metabolism (, from el, μεταβολή ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cell ...

via the

CYP2D6 Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''CYP2D6'' gene. ''CYP2D6'' is primarily expressed in the liver. It is also highly expressed in areas of the central nervous system, including the substantia nigra. CYP2D ...

isoenzyme In biochemistry, isozymes (also known as isoenzymes or more generally as multiple forms of enzymes) are enzymes that differ in amino acid sequence but catalyze the same chemical reaction. Isozymes usually have different kinetic parameters (e.g. dif ...

hydroxylation In chemistry, hydroxylation can refer to: *(i) most commonly, hydroxylation describes a chemical process that introduces a hydroxyl group () into an organic compound. *(ii) the ''degree of hydroxylation'' refers to the number of OH groups in a ...

to ''para''-hydroxy-mCPP (''p''-OH-mCPP) and this plays a major role in its metabolism. The

elimination half-life Biological half-life (also known as elimination half-life, pharmacologic half-life) is the time taken for concentration of a biological substance (such as a medication) to decrease from its maximum concentration ( Cmax) to half of Cmax in the bl ...

of mCPP is 4 to 14 hours. mCPP is a

metabolite In biochemistry, a metabolite is an intermediate or end product of metabolism. The term is usually used for small molecules. Metabolites have various functions, including fuel, structure, signaling, stimulatory and inhibitory effects on enzymes, c ...

of a variety of other piperazine drugs including

trazodone Trazodone, sold under many brand names, is an antidepressant medication. It is used to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and difficulties with sleep. The medication is taken orally. Common side-effects include dry mouth, fe ...

nefazodone Nefazodone, sold formerly under the brand names Serzone, Dutonin, and Nefadar among others, is an atypical antidepressant which was first marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) in 1994 but has since largely been discontinued. BMS withdrew it from ...

etoperidone Etoperidone, associated with several brand names, is an atypical antidepressant which was developed in the 1970s and either is no longer marketed or was never marketed. It is a phenylpiperazine related to trazodone and nefazodone in chemical str ...

, enpiprazole,

mepiprazole Mepiprazole (INN, BAN) (brand name Psigodal) is an anxiolytic drug of the phenylpiperazine group with additional antidepressant properties that is marketed in Spain. It acts as a 5-HT2A and α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist and inhibits th ...

, cloperidone, peraclopone, and BRL-15,572. It is formed by

dealkylation Alkylation is the transfer of an alkyl group from one molecule to another. The alkyl group may be transferred as an alkyl carbocation, a free radical, a carbanion, or a carbene (or their equivalents). Alkylating agents are reagents for effecting al ...

via

CYP3A4 Cytochrome P450 3A4 (abbreviated CYP3A4) () is an important enzyme in the body, mainly found in the liver and in the intestine. It oxidizes small foreign organic molecules (xenobiotics), such as toxins or drugs, so that they can be removed from t ...

. Caution should be exercised in concomitant administration of

inhibitors such as

bupropion Bupropion, sold under the brand names Wellbutrin and Zyban among others, is an atypical antidepressant primarily used to treat major depressive disorder and to support smoking cessation. It is also popular as an add-on medication in the case ...

fluoxetine Fluoxetine, sold under the brand names Prozac and Sarafem, among others, is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class. It is used for the treatment of major depressive disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorde ...

paroxetine Paroxetine, sold under the brand names Paxil and Seroxat among others, is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class. It is used to treat major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder ...

, and

thioridazine Thioridazine (Mellaril or Melleril) is a first generation antipsychotic drug belonging to the phenothiazine drug group and was previously widely used in the treatment of schizophrenia and psychosis. The branded product was withdrawn worldwide ...

with drugs that produce mCPP as a metabolite as these drugs are known to increase concentrations of the parent molecule (e.g., trazodone) and of mCPP.

Chemistry

Analogues

Analogues of mCPP include: *

1-Benzylpiperazine Benzylpiperazine (BZP) is a recreational drug with euphoriant and stimulant properties. The effects produced by BZP are comparable to those produced by amphetamine. Adverse effects have been reported following its use including acute psychosis, ...

(BZP) *

1-Methyl-4-benzylpiperazine Methylbenzylpiperazine (1-methyl-4-benzylpiperazine, MBZP) is a stimulant drug which is a derivative of benzylpiperazine. MBZP has been sold as an ingredient in legal recreational drugs known as "party pills", initially in New Zealand and subsequ ...

(MBZP) *

1,4-Dibenzylpiperazine Dibenzylpiperazine (DBZP) is a piperazine derivative often found as an impurity in the recreational stimulant drug benzylpiperazine (BZP). Presence of DBZP is a marker for low quality or badly made BZP. It can be made as a reaction byproduct duri ...

(DBZP) * 3-Trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (TFMPP) *

3,4-Methylenedioxy-1-benzylpiperazine 1-(3,4-Methylenedioxybenzyl)piperazine (MDBZP, piperonylpiperazine) is a chemical compound of the piperazine chemical class related to benzylpiperazine (BZP). MDBZP has been sold as a designer drug and has even been found as an ingredient in stre ...

(MDBZP) *

4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxy-1-benzylpiperazine 4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxy-1-benzylpiperazine (2C-B-BZP) is a psychoactive drug and research chemical of the piperazine chemical class which has been sold as a "designer drug". It produces stimulant effects similar to those of benzylpiperazine (BZP). ...

(2C-B-BZP) * 4-Fluorophenylpiperazine (pFPP) * 4-Methoxyphenylpiperazine (MeOPP) Some additional analogues include

quipazine Quipazine is a serotonergic drug of the piperazine group which is used in scientific research. It was originally intended as an antidepressant but never developed for medical use. Pharmacology Pharmacodynamics Quipazine is a serotonin reuptake ...

ORG-12962 ORG-12962 is a pyridinylpiperazine drug developed by Organon, which acts as a potent and selective agonist for the 5-HT2 receptor family, with highest affinity at 5-HT2C and lowest at 5-HT2B subtypes. It was developed as a potential anti-anx ...

, and 3C-PEP.

Society and culture

Legal status

Belgium

mCPP is illegal in Belgium.

Brazil

mCPP is illegal in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Canada

mCPP is not a controlled drug in Canada.

China

As of October 2015 mCPP is a controlled substance in China.

Czech Republic

mCPP is legal in the Czech Republic.

Denmark

mCPP is illegal in Denmark.

Finland

mCPP is illegal in

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

Germany

mCPP is illegal in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Hungary

mCPP is illegal in

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

since 2012.

Japan

mCPP is illegal in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

since 2006.

Netherlands

mCPP is legal in

the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

New Zealand

Based on the recommendation of the EACD, the New Zealand government has passed legislation which placed BZP, along with the other piperazine derivatives TFMPP, mCPP, pFPP, MeOPP and MBZP, into Class C of the New Zealand Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. A ban was intended to come into effect in New Zealand on December 18, 2007, but the law change did not go through until the following year, and the sale of BZP and the other listed piperazines became illegal in New Zealand as of 1 April 2008. An amnesty for possession and usage of these drugs remained until October 2008, at which point they became completely illegal. However, it is important to note that mCPP is legally used for scientific research.

Norway

mCPP is illegal in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

Russia

mCPP is illegal in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

Sweden

mCPP is illegal in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

Poland

mCPP is illegal in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

United States

mCPP is not scheduled at the federal level in the

, but it is possible that it could be considered a controlled substance analog of BZP, in which case purchase, sale, or possession could be prosecuted under the

Federal Analog Act The Federal Analogue Act, , is a section of the United States Controlled Substances Act passed in 1986 which allows any chemical "substantially similar" to a controlled substance listed in Controlled Substances Act#Schedule I controlled substance ...

. However, "chlorophenylpiperazine" is a Schedule I

controlled substance A controlled substance is generally a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession and use is regulated by a government, such as illicitly used drugs or prescription medications that are designated by law. Some treaties, notably the Single C ...

in the state of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

making it illegal to buy, sell, or possess in this state.

Turkey

mCPP is illegal in

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

since 20/05/2009.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chlorophenylpiperazine, Meta- 5-HT2A antagonists 5-HT2B antagonists 5-HT2C agonists Alpha-1 blockers Alpha-2 blockers Anxiogenics Designer drugs Human drug metabolites Serotonin receptor agonists Serotonin releasing agents Stimulants

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Pharmacokinetics

Chemistry

Analogues

Society and culture

Legal status

Belgium

Brazil

Canada

China

Czech Republic

Denmark

Finland

Germany

Hungary

Japan

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Russia

Sweden

Poland

United States

Turkey

See also

References

External links